Identifying PTSD in Law Enforcement Officers

A Link between Police Line of Duty Traumatic Events and PTSD Diagnosis

Introduction

Policing can lead to a number of situations in which officers experience a traumatic event. As Chopko and Schwartz (2012) show, there are a number of ways in which post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in officers can manifest itself—from a dwindling of personal effort towards maintaining personal relationships to more on-duty assaults. An individual with PTSD requires treatment so as to be able to address the underlying issues that have resulted in the disorder. Treatment can come through a variety of interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmaceuticals, strengthening a support system network, or counseling in order to help those diagnosed with PTSD return to work in an orderly fashion (Plat, Westerveld, Hutter, Olff, Frings-Dresen & Sluiter, 2013; McCanlies, Gu, Andrew, Burchfiel & Violanti, 2017). However, identifying PTSD among police officers can be the challenging part, and if it is not identified early on, officers’ personal and work relationships can suffer, their ability to function appropriately on the job can deteriorate, and their mental health can decline substantially (Andersen & Papazoglou, 2014; Chopko, Palmieri & Adams, 2018). In order to better identify the symptoms of PTSD, it is necessary to be aware of circumstances that can lead to the onset of PTSD so that officers and administrators can be vigilant in monitoring officers who have experienced a particular event. One theory is that there is a possible link between the experiencing of catastrophic events while on duty and the development of PTSD (Cone, Li, Kornblith et al., 2015). However, more information is needed to verify this theory across a range of events.

Problem Statement

A better awareness of how traumatic stress experienced during catastrophic events while on duty can lead to PTSD is needed.

Purpose of the Study

This study aims to examine the possible link between traumatic stress experienced during catastrophic events by officers while on duty and PTSD.

Methodology

Using the interview method, this study will interview a sample of officers who have experienced traumatic stress on the job. Snowball sampling will be used to obtain the sample, and interviews will be conducted in person or over the Internet using Skype. The aim of the interview process will be to collect data on the events surrounding the participant’s trauma and whether the event would classify as a catastrophic event and whether the officer’s symptoms would classify as PTSD. Using semi-structured interview questions, the researcher will be able to obtain insight into how officers perceive their own symptoms, their own experiences, and the events or causes that may have triggered their disorder.

The data will be collected and analyzed using content analysis, which allows themes to emerge and relevant information to be categorized. These categories of themes allow the researcher to identify patterns and common attributes among participant responses as well as outliers that can challenge a narrative or present a different perspective on a phenomenon.

Defining Terms

For the sake of clarity, terms would have to be defined, including what is meant by PTSD, what is meant by traumatic stress, and what is meant by catastrophic. Defining these terms will help to set clear parameters when it comes to interpreting the data.

Expected Findings

The findings that are expected to show are that for different officers, the definition of “catastrophic” is likely to change, as the subjective experience can lead to a range of perceptions among individual officers working on duty within the same or similar situation. What might be identified as a catastrophic situation for one officer might be considered all part of job or routine by another officer. It is expected, likewise, that the experience of traumatic stress is related to this outlook that the officer has of the event. However, it might also appear that trauma can be experienced regardless of how one reports a perception of an event and that even if an officer describes an event as normal or routine, it could be the case that the officer simply does not want to be seen as one who is blowing an experience out of proportion—i.e., the officer is afraid of seeming weak or unable to do the job.

Potential of the Study

While it is too early to make recommendations, this study has the potential to be helpful for officers and administrators in the field of law enforcement in the sense that it may be able to give them a better sense of the issues related to PTSD and how traumatic stress can impact their mental and emotional health. By being aware of the types of environments and events that can potentially lead to PTSD symptoms, officers and administrators can better prepare themselves for what they may encounter in these cases to help mitigate the risk of PTSD developing. They may also be better equipped to monitor themselves and one another following such an event so as to help address PTSD if it does arise early on instead of suffering a long exposure to it before finally receiving appropriate treatment.