The Study of Work-Related Stress among Law Enforcement Personnel

Abstract

Law enforcement has been extensively documented as one of the most stressful occupations [1]. With sudden disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, new sources of stress (e.g., negative public interaction, risk of infection) have created unprecedented challenges for law enforcement. A large body of work has shown that the stressors experienced in law enforcement are associated with PTSD, suicidal ideation, and depression at a rate higher than the general population [2-12]. However, much of the current stress literature focuses on sworn officers and largely overlooks the growing non-sworn population. This represents a significant public health concern with more than 300,000 civilians working in a non-sworn position [13]. Despite the adverse impacts of stress being well-described among sworn officers, very little is known about the levels of stress within non-sworn personnel and how they compare to sworn officers [14, 15]. In addition to these knowledge gaps, work-related stress has largely been measured by surveys. While surveys provide valuable insight, they are subject to recall bias [16, 17]. Emerging research using cortisol has shown great promise in addressing survey limitations but remains mixed as to whether biomarkers correlate with stress. To address these knowledge gaps, this study used a mixed-methods approach to characterize work-related stress across two large urban Minnesota law enforcement departments. A total of 37 interviews explored novel stressors including barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health resources; 417 surveys quantified the prevalence of work-related stressors and PTSD among sworn and non-sworn personnel; 38 hair samples were collected to demonstrate the possibility of analyzing cortisol among a high-stressed occupation. The prevalence of PTSD symptomology was 24% among sworn and 39% among non-sworn personnel. Results indicated that mental health stigma was a perceived barrier to seeking help. Service providers familiar with law enforcement facilitated seeking help. Non-sworn respondents had lower organizational stress than sworn personnel. Responding to the civil unrest was particularly stressful for early-career non-sworn personnel. This study demonstrated the possibility of using hair samples in studies of stress within law enforcement.