Prevalence of Mental Illness and Mental Health Care Use Among Police Officers

Source:

Jetelina KK, Molsberry RJ, Gonzalez JR, Beauchamp AM, Hall T. Prevalence of Mental Illness and Mental Health Care Use Among Police Officers. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(10):e2019658. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19658

Key Points

Question  What is the prevalence of mental illness and mental health care use among police officers at a large, urban police department?

Findings  In this survey study of 434 police officers, 12% had a lifetime mental health diagnosis and 26% reported current symptoms of mental illness. Of these officers, 17% had sought mental health care services in the past 12 months, but officers reported interest in help if a few key concerns were met, including confidentiality assurance.

Meaning  The findings suggest that routine mental health screening may be needed in law enforcement agencies to systematically identify and refer officers to mental health care services