In fact, the subculture of police may both buffer and exacerbate an officer's response to stress and feelings of depression, hopelessness, alcoholism, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), which are some of the many causes of suicidal behavior. (Henry, 2004) The police environment also faces difficulties obtaining the proper treatment and care necessary in such a demanding career. This paper works to gain a better understanding of the several factors that can lead to police officer suicide as well as identifying some possible solutions and intervention techniques that can make a difference. .
Why Do Officers Commit Suicide?.
While officers share some features of suicide risk with the general population, other facts and statistics apply more specifically to the law enforcement profession. Like most people, officers commit suicide as a maladaptive response to intolerable personal, family, and/or work situations they feel they cannot resolve. Constant exposure to human suffering: death, destruction, disaster, accidents, and unspeakable crimes can take its toll on any officer. (Bongar, 2002). It is estimated that there are 125,000 U.S. police officers that have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For each and every police suicide (126 per year), almost 1,000 officers continue to work while suffering through the painful symptoms of PTSD. PTSD is not the cause of suicide, however, untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which report that one in ten Americans suffer with depression. The CDC also identifies other suicide risk factors that include: relationship difficulties, shift work, alcohol or other substance abuse, personal legal troubles, facing prosecution, negative public image, financial problems, physical pain/illness, inconsistencies in the criminal justice system, shame/humiliation, unrealistic expectations of self or by others, instant access to highly effective means of suicide (96+% use firearms).
