Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2022

Publication Title

Differences in Suicidality in Non–Treatment-Seeking and Treatment-Seeking Law Enforcement Officers A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to high levels of occupational trauma and face added stress from heightened public scrutiny and COVID-19, which may result in suicide. It is crucial to understand differences between LEOs who seek treatment and those who do not. Method: We compared LEOs from the same greater metropolitan area who sought treatment with those who did not. Participants completed validated measures assessing posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Results: The treatment-seeking sample scores were higher on all standardized assessments. Bivariate logistic regression results indicated that the non–treatment-seeking sample's odds of experiencing suicidality were 1.76 times the odds for the treatment seeking sample. Conclusions: This suggests that many LEOs experiencing suicidality may not be seeking treatment and highlights the role that posttraumatic stress disorder may play in determining whether LEOs seek treatment or not.

Volume

64

Issue

9

First Page

797

Last Page

801

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000002618

Download


Included in

Social Work Commons

Share

COinS

Tell us how this article helped you.