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A Guide to Utilizing Police Training As a Tool to Promote Resilience and Improve Health Outcomes Among Police Officers

American Psychological Association
Traumatology
Authors:
Konstantinos Papazoglou at ProWellness Inc.
Konstantinos Papazoglou
  • ProWellness Inc.
Judith Pizarro Andersen at University of Toronto
Judith Pizarro Andersen
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Abstract

Police officers face chronic stress and exposure to traumatic events in the line of duty. Over the course of their career, officers often experience mental and physical health issues related to such exposures. The authors propose that police educators are an untapped resource, able to teach trainees at the start of their career about the health realities of chronic exposure to critical incidents and provide training about positive coping skills and resilience. Training officers from the beginning of their career may well serve to break down barriers such as stigma against seeking mental health treatment that are inherent in traditional police culture. This article explores brief, culturally relevant, evidence-based exercises that can be incorporated into police training curricula to promote resilience to future stress. We provide recommendations for future research and numerous resources that police educators can incorporate into their curriculum regarding these issues.
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A Guide to Utilizing Police Training As a Tool to Promote Resilience and
Improve Health Outcomes Among Police Officers
Konstantinos Papazoglou and Judith P. Andersen
University of Toronto–Mississauga
Police officers face chronic stress and exposure to traumatic events in the line of duty. Over the course
of their career, officers often experience mental and physical health issues related to such exposures. The
authors propose that police educators are an untapped resource, able to teach trainees at the start of their
career about the health realities of chronic exposure to critical incidents and provide training about
positive coping skills and resilience. Training officers from the beginning of their career may well serve
to break down barriers such as stigma against seeking mental health treatment that are inherent in
traditional police culture. This article explores brief, culturally relevant, evidence-based exercises that
can be incorporated into police training curricula to promote resilience to future stress. We provide
recommendations for future research and numerous resources that police educators can incorporate into
their curriculum regarding these issues.
Keywords: trauma prevention, health promotion, resilience, police training
Police work is demanding. Officers frequently face life-
threatening situations, exposure to graphic crime scenes, abused
individuals, and violent perpetrators as well as occupational stres-
sors such as shift work and uncomfortable equipment (Atkinson-
Tovar, 2003;Constantini et al., 2010;Cross & Ashley, 2004;
Karlsson & Christianson, 2003). Research highlights multiple
mental and physical health conditions related to chronic stress and
trauma exposure (Andersen, Wade, Possemato, & Ouimette,
2010), increases in substance use to cope (Asmundson & Staple-
ton, 2008;Austin-Ketch et al., 2012), and related suffering (Da-
rensburg et al., 2006). Although programs exist to help police after
chronic stress exposure, many officers do not access these services
(Wester, Arndt, Sedivy, & Arndt, 2010). Officers can also expe-
rience positive psychological benefits from their work as helpers
and protectors. They may gain a sense of appreciation for com-
munity, family, and collegial support and experience professional
and personal development as a result of stressors experienced in
the line of duty (Chopko, 2010). Integrating resilience program-
ming into standard training curriculum for cadets may increase
positive outcomes and address barriers to seeking treatment when
needed.
Police educators have almost daily contact with cadets during
training, which varies from several months to years. Although
police trainers are not clinicians, they have the opportunity to
educate trainees on the physical and mental health effects of
traumatic exposure, appropriate responses, help-seeking behavior,
and combating the stigma of mental health treatment in a way that
has not yet been incorporated into police training in a standardized
fashion. Paton (2005) describes how training first responders to
positively reframe exposure to work-related stress improves resil-
ience and increases officers’ self-efficacy while on duty. In this
paper, we present a series of evidence-based and practice-based
recommendations for promoting resilience among police officers.
Police Work, Stress, and Health
Occupational Stress
In addition to critical incident stress, officers often experience
occupational stressors such as shift work, equipment concerns, and
lack of organizational support (Rudofossi, 2007). Occupational
stressors may contribute to mental health conditions. For example,
Gerber, Hartmann, Brand, Holsboer-Trachsler, and Pühse (2010)
recruited 460 Swiss police officers and showed that shift work was
associated with increased social stress. Groer and colleagues
(2010) found that routine training exercises such as virtual critical
incident scenarios (e.g., police chase) significantly increased stress
hormones. Constantini and colleagues (2010) found that the weight
of equipment was positively correlated with stress levels among
female Israeli officers. Carrying heavy equipment, particularly in
inclement weather (extreme heat or cold), may function as a
chronic stress for many officers (Constantini et al., 2010). Plaxton-
Hennings (2004) described a situation in which an officer was shot
in the line of duty, then put on administrative leave by his depart-
ment, and then relegated to fixing patrol cars, all of which nega-
tively affected his mental health.
Researchers have found that the quality of peer relationships and
organizational support are correlated with self-reported stress
among police officers. Adams and Buck (2010) found that officers
(n⫽196) reported multiple occupational stressors within their
department (e.g., supervisors) in addition to the stress experienced
This article was published Online First May 12, 2014.
Konstantinos Papazoglou and Judith P. Andersen, Department of Psy-
chology, University of Toronto–Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Can-
ada.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Judith
Pizarro Andersen, PhD, 3359 Mississauga Road North, William Davis
Building 2037B, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. E-mail: judith.andersen
@utoronto.ca
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Traumatology: An International Journal © 2014 American Psychological Association
2014, Vol. 20, No. 2, 103–111 1085-9373/14/$12.00
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0099394
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  • May 2011
  • Clin Case Stud
This article describes treatment of a female problem gambler using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). The treatment protocol was adapted for problem gamblers from the manualized MBCT intervention developed by Segal, Williams, and Teasdale. Gambling behavior and mindfulness practice were monitored using daily diary entries maintained by the participant. The Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory—II, and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire were administered at pretreatment, posttreatment, 4-week follow-up, and 10-week follow-up phases. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire was also used to assess acceptability of the intervention. The participant abstained from gambling, and anxiety and depression scores significantly reduced to subclinical levels over the assessment period. Exploration of mindfulness facets revealed that MBCT for problem gambling (MBCT-PG) may be useful in promoting acceptance of distressing thoughts and emotions. However, the participant did not maintain an intensive mindfulness-meditation practice over the follow-up phase of the intervention. The clinical implications of this case study are discussed.
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Use of mindfulness‐based therapies in psychiatry
Article
  • Nov 2012
Mindfulness is an ancient concept conveying the idea of experiencing the present non‐judgementally and openly, allowing oneself to develop a greater sense of emotional balance and well‐being. There is growing evidence that mindfulness‐based therapies are effective for a wide range of medical conditions. In this review, Dr Singh explores the clinical application of mindfulness to various psychiatric conditions.
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