Overlooked and Untreated Police Officer Mental Health: A Crucial Consideration in the Era of Reform
Police officers suffer from undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues at alarming rates. Despite mental health services being offered by most departments, officers systematically avoid using them. For example, in a 2017 survey, 59.4% of officers reportedly felt that receiving treatment is a sign of personal failure. Furthermore, seeking mental health treatment is notoriously undervalued, not always confidential, and stigmatized across US police departments. Disturbingly, using mental health services can even result in an officer losing their job. All these factors cultivate a dangerous culture of treatment avoidance. Moreover, officers suffering from untreated mental health conditions pose a direct threat to themselves and to the communities they serve. This presentation will explore the mental illnesses plaguing American police departments today, in addition to exploring the factors that contribute to widespread treatment avoidance. Lastly, recommendations from the 2017 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act will be explored as possible solutions to getting police officers the mental healthcare that they desperately need.
Chelsea Arnold, Forensic and Clinical Psychology ‘22
Chelsea Arnold is studying forensic and clinical psychology at Seattle University with the goal of becoming a practicing forensic psychologist. As we enter the era of law-enforcement reform, Chelsea has quickly narrowed her interest into working particularly with police officers. Her vision is to create and implement new training techniques that promote a more humanitarian approach to policing in departments across the nation. To gain experience in her chosen field of psychology, Chelsea volunteers as a phone operator for King County’s Crisis & Suicide hotline. Additionally, Chelsea is a member of Seattle University’s Alfie Scholars research cohort, where she hones the leadership and research skills necessary for becoming a visionary for changing American policing.
