The stigma among officers seeking therapy restricts them from prioritizing their mental state. Constant stress leads to excessive cortisol production and disrupts the brain’s stress response system (TED-Ed, 2015, 00:01:28-00:01:39). These negative consequences underscore the need for standardized mental health support for officers beyond fit-for-duty evaluations. Fostering openness about one’s psyche is essential, as it helps police officers minimize burnout and increase job satisfaction.
Those officials who work with victim-survivors encounter significant emotional challenges that can affect productivity and personal well-being. Witnessing traumatic events and communicating with people who have experienced them lead to the emergence of the concept of vicarious drama. As a result, it affects self-perception and the predictability of reactions, and erodes the ability to be present (Office for Victims of Crime, 2017, 00:00:08-00:00:17). Therefore, supporting these specialists and providing self-help resources is equally essential, while emphasizing the importance of frankness.
Police agencies recognize the urgent need to address officers’ challenges. It is essential to thoughtfully combine proactive and reactive practices to anticipate potential issues and use existing services to mitigate the consequences of current ones (Peak et al., 2019). In particular, the Office of Justice Programs targets stress-management interventions among police officers, providing counseling opportunities and prompting the necessity to create support systems (National Institute of Justice, 2019, 00:08:06-00:08:52). The mental well-being and safety of police officers have not been a top concern for a long time, as this issue has not been given significant importance in the past (TEDx Talks, 2014, 00:01:15-00:01:27). However, today, it is worth recognizing that servants are under pressure constantly and for several reasons.
Thus, officers may develop PTSD due to high-pressure situations, dangerous conditions, exposure to violence, and witnessing trauma. The optimal ways to reduce stress levels are constant psychological consultations, sufficient rest, and physical activity. In this context, police leaders are responsible for ensuring resources for assistance, maintaining openness, providing stress-management training, and creating favorable work schedules.
Measuring productivity can be challenging, as it requires considering several factors. However, one suitable approach is to calculate the costs of activities and compare them with the performance of assigned tasks (Peak et al., 2019). Furthermore, to increase the criminal justice system’s effectiveness, updates that focus on collaboration and the incorporation of technology-based solutions would be beneficial.
References
National Institute of Justice. (2019). Protecting against stress & trauma: research lessons for law enforcement– defining the problem. YouTube.
Office for Victims of Crime. (2017). Addressing vicarious trauma in victim service professionals. YouTube.
Peak, K., Gaines, L.K., & Glensor, R.W. (2019). Managing and leading today’s police: Challenges, best practices, case studies (4th ed.). Pearson.
TED-Ed. (2015). How stress affects your brain – Madhumita Murgia. YouTube.
TEDx Talks. (2014). Tired cops, justice and injustice | Bryan Vila | TEDxSpokane. YouTube.