Trauma Therapy for Police Officers
Police officers are charged with the responsibility of keeping our communities safe and enforcing the law but what happens when their own health and well-being is at risk? On a daily basis police officers are put in traumatic, risky and violent situations. They are the ones we turn to when we need support, but when they are the ones in need of help they often suffer in silence.
Canadian police officers are widely affected by mental illness. In fact 36 percent of municipal and provincial police and 50 percent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report current symptoms of mental illness. This compares to only 10 percent for the general public. (source)
Therapy can be an effective treatment for police officers experiencing mental illness.
Mental health treatment for police officers
Combinations of treatment, medication and support have been shown to effectively improve symptoms for police officers and first responders struggling with their mental health. Types of recommend therapeutic treatment can include:
- Trauma therapy
- Depression counseling
- Anger management
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- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
The factors impacting a police officers mental health
There are many stressors impacting a police officer’s mental health. Some of the primary stressors are often related to:
- Operational stress: This source of police stress comes from traumatic experiences police encounter on the job
- Organizational stress: Occurs when police departments are under staffed and are run by ineffective leaders
- Organizational culture: This factor encompasses shared actions, values, attitudes and beliefs that are common across police organizations due to the nature of the work
87 percent of officers serving in Canadian police departments reported moderate to severe depression. It is important to ensure those who put their safety at risk to protect our communities are taken care of too.
“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
If you or a police officer in your life is struggling to cope with their mental health, we encourage you to reach out to our team at Equinox Therapeutic.
Members of our team specialize in supporting police officers suffering from PTSD and we can help you begin the journey of healing. If you’d like to set up a consultation to find out more, visit our contact page.
Empower yourself!
Find out more information about our services.
To figure out if therapy is right for you, talk to one of our registered psychologists or counsellors.