“To Serve and Protect Their Mental Health”: The Effects of Police Occupational Culture on Police Officers Mental Health

• Main Authors: Salehah Hakik, Kory Langlois
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Charles Sturt University 2020-09-01
• Series: Salus Journal
• Subjects: police culture; organisational change; ptsd; policing; subculture; police occupational culture; stigma; trauma; mental illness
• Online Access: https://salusjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Hakik_Salus_Journal_Volume_8_Number_2_2020_pp_117-151.pdf

This paper focuses on the connections that lie between the police occupational culture and its impact on officers’ mental health - PTSD. The main goal was to determine whether a relationship could be identified with the existing police culture and how it stigmatizes any mention of mental illness. Conducting a qualitative content analysis of government documents as well as a collection of news media articles, the study found connections are in fact prevalent and can thus be casually inferred that police culture impacts officers’ mental wellness. The lack of dialogue, and negative features of the police culture prove to be barriers that add additional stressors to an officer living with mental health related issues, such as PTSD.