Proximity to the 9/11 terrorist attack and suicide ideation in police officers.

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Violanti ◽  
Cherie Castellano ◽  
Julie O'Rourke ◽  
Douglas Paton
2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Pienaar ◽  
Sebastiaan Rothmann ◽  
Fons J. R. van de Vijver

The objective of this study is to determine whether suicide ideation among uniformed police officers of the South African Police Service could be predicted on the basis of occupational stress, personality traits, and coping strategies. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Police Stress Inventory, the Personality Characteristics Inventory, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced are administered to a stratified random sample of 1,794 police employees from eight South African provinces. A logistic regression analysis shows that low scores on conscientiousness, emotional stability, approach coping, and turning to religion as well as high scores on avoidance coping are associated with more suicide ideation.


2020 ◽  
Vol Special Issue ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Waldemar Zubrzycki

One of the state entities which have the task of preventing and combating terrorism is the Police, while the Police Academy in Szczytno is their intellectual base. It is not only an organisational unit of the Police, but also a higher education institution with legal personality. This status entitles it to teach at different levels of civilian higher education, as well as conduct in-service training for police officers. Education in the area of terrorist threats and counteracting them is aimed, on the one hand, at making the students aware of the scale of such threats and their accurate identification, as well as the ways of responding to them by the state and its institutions, and, on the other hand, at learning specific reflexes that will allow anyone who finds themselves in an area threatened by a terrorist attack to quickly assess the resulting threat and to react immediately. The goals set in this way are reflected in the employment structure of the academy, which includes specialist organisational units, and among the scientific and teaching staff are experts, including practitioners, who in the past carried out the tasks of the state at different levels of the system for counteracting terrorist threats. They systematically participate in scientific undertakings, including research projects, scientific conferences and publication work, participate in the work of expert teams, both national and international, and cooperate extensively with external entities. The result of their multidimensional activities is shaping and deepening social awareness of terrorist threats and desired attitudes towards them, as well as appropriate preparation of police officers, but also other services, to safely perform tasks related to the elimination of terrorist threats.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janie Jun ◽  
Thomas Metzler ◽  
Clare Henn-Haase ◽  
Suzanne Best ◽  
Charles Marmar

Author(s):  
Elizabeth Velazquez ◽  
Maria Hernandez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review current research on police officer mental health and to explore the reasons why police officers do not seek mental health treatment. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive, systematic search of multiple academic databases (e.g. EBSCO Host) were used to identify studies conducted within the USA, identified definitions of first responders, identified the type of duty-related trauma expected by police officers, how influential stigma is amongst the police culture and what current intervention strategies are employed to assist police officer mental health wellness. Findings This research was conducted to identify police officer trauma-related mental health and the stigma behind seeking treatment. The research highlights job-related trauma and stress leads to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorder and suicide or suicide ideation. The stigma behind seeking mental health treatment is associated with law enforcement organizations and environmental factors. Organizational factors include occupational stress characteristics such as day-to-day of the job and environmental factors such as abiding by social and law enforcement culture ideologies. Further research should be conducted to understand why law enforcing agencies and personnel are unknowingly promoting stigmas. Originality/value This is the most current meta-review of research examining the severity of mental health in police officers, the stigma behind acquiring treatment and innovative treatment approaches in police officer mental health. This study will provide a useful resource for those researchers interested in continuing to examine the different aspects of police officer mental health and how to potently approach innovative interventions to help law enforcement personals mental wellness thrive in a field where trauma is experienced daily.


2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 339-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Gabriel ◽  
Laura Ferrando ◽  
Enrique Sainz Cortón ◽  
Carlos Mingote ◽  
Eduardo García-Camba ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground and aimTo assess the prevalence and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression and anxiety disorders other than PTSD, among three samples with different level of exposure to the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid.MethodWe sampled three groups of persons—those injured in the attacks, the residents of Alcala de Henares, and police officers involved with the rescue effort—with different exposure to the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks, using random sampling from comprehensive censuses of all three groups. In person interviews were conducted with all three groups between 5 and 12 weeks after March 11, 2004. Questionnaire included assessment of socio-demographic characteristics, of PTSD using the Davidson trauma scale, and of a range of psychiatric illnesses using the mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI).ResultsThe overall sample included 127 persons injured in the attack, 485 residents of Alcalá de Henares, and 153 policemen involved in rescue. Of all three groups 57.5%, 25.9% and 3.9% of persons, respectively, reported symptoms consistent with any assessed psychiatric disorder. The use of psychoactive medication before March 11, 2004 was consistently the main predictor of PTSD and major depression among those injured and of major depression and anxiety disorders others than PTSD among residents of Alcala.ConclusionsThere was a substantial burden of psychological consequences of the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks two months after the event. Persons with prior mental illness are at higher risk of post-event psychopathology, across groups of exposure.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Ritu Sekhri

Suicide Ideation has been considered as an important antecedent of attempted suicide. It refers to the cognitive aspect of suicide, and may be considered an early detection of more serious suicidal behaviour. When people view their lives from negative perspective filled with emotional pain and distress, they inflate the consequences of their mistakes, start believing that they will continue to fail and should give up altogether. Police officers are almost under stress to meet the demands of the public and works under high stressful conditions as they have to keep the crime rate under control. They have no breaks, no vacations, no weekends and have to work in all weather conditions providing public with all comforts. The paper focuses on the psychological variables and demographic factors such as anxiety, depression, alcohol, age, gender, socio-economic status, rank, years of service, years of current position, educational qualifications, marital status, presence of health-related problems that seems to play an important role in understanding the predictors of suicide ideation and suicide among Indian Police officers.


2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 758-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Violanti ◽  
Luenda E. Charles ◽  
Tara A. Hartley ◽  
Anna Mnatsakanova ◽  
Michael E. Andrew ◽  
...  

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