Protecting Those Who Protect Us: The Impact of Potentially Traumatic Events on Police Officers
摘要
One of the most stressful occupations involves working as a police officer. The reason policing is considered stressful is the chronic exposure to traumatic events as part of the daily work routine. This chapter discusses the type of traumatic events police officers may encounter, the consequences of the traumatic event exposure, and the potential that some police officers will develop mental health consequences due to these disturbing events. This traumatic event exposure may be direct, indirect, or through vicariously learning about such tragic events from colleagues. There are various methods to address this exposure to traumatic events, such as group debriefing, psychological first aid, peer social support, and a variation of trauma-informed care. These methods will be discussed in detail, ultimately drawing the conclusion that a specific variation of trauma-informed care has been identified as a highly effective way to intervene with police officers dealing with wellness challenges.