Experiences of (Potentially) Traumatizing Deployments and Posttraumatic Stress in Police Officers: An Exploratory Survey of Early Career Police Officers

Abstract

Background As part of their career, police officers are faced with traumatic events on a regular basis and are at a higher risk of developing post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. The aim of this study was to examine if and how many early career police officers had already experienced potentially traumatizing situations and how many met either subsyndromal or complete PTSD criteria. A further subject of interest was if the officers knew the concept of psychosocial emergency care for first responders (PSNV-E) and if such support was made use of.

Method Early career police officers (n=221) were assessed via an online survey about their posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Results More than half of the participants (n=121) reported having experienced at least one traumatic deployment. PTSD prevalence in this group was at 1.7%, an additional 14.9% showed partial PTSD. One-fifth did not know about the PSNV-E concept.

Conclusion Police officers are confronted with a range of extremely stressful events early in their career leading to first symptoms of PTSD in some of them. Early prevention strategies as well as the identification of those affected for secondary prevention is of very high relevance for long-term mental health.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund Polizeibeamt:innen werden in ihrer beruflichen Karriere oft mit traumatischen Einsätzen konfrontiert und weisen im Vergleich zur Allgemeinbevölkerung ein erhöhtes Risiko eine posttraumatische Belastungsstörung (PTBS) zu entwickeln auf. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war, zu untersuchen, ob und wie häufig Berufsanfänger:innen der Polizei bereits (potenziell) traumatische Einsätze erlebt haben und wie häufig eine PTBS oder eine subsyndromale Ausprägung der PTBS vorliegt. Ferner war von Interesse, ob ihnen das Konzeptzur psychosozialen Notfallversorgung für Einsatzkräfte (PSNV-E) bekannt ist und ob diese Angebote in Anspruch genommen werden.

Methode N=221 Berufsanfänger:innen der Polizei wurden im Rahmen einer Online-Befragung zum Erleben potenziell traumatischer Einsätze befragt. Zudem wurde mit der PCL-5 das Ausmaß posttraumatischer Belastungssymptome erhoben.

Ergebnisse Über die Hälfte der Befragten (n=121) hatte mindestens einen (potenziell) traumatischen Einsatz erlebt. Die PTBS-Prävalenz lag in dieser Gruppe bei 1,7%, weitere 14,9% wiesen eine partielle PTBS auf. Einem Fünftel der Befragten war das PSNV-E Konzept nicht bekannt.

Schlussfolgerung Bereits in den ersten Berufsjahren sind Polizeibeamt:innen mit extrem belastenden Einsätzen konfrontiert, woraufhin ein Teil von ihnen erste Anzeichen einer PTBS aufweist. Frühe Präventionsmaßnahmen sowie Identifikation von Betroffenen zur sekundären Prävention sind von hoher Relevanz für die langfristige Gesunderhaltung.

Keywords

police-specific traumatic events - PTSD - partial PTSD - PCL-5

Schlüsselwörter

traumatisches Ereignis - PTBS - Partielle PTBS - PCL-5 - Polizei

Publication History

Received: 26 January 2024

Accepted: 20 June 2024

Article published online:
15 July 2024

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