STRESSED, ANXIOUS AND SUICIDAL.. OUR POLICE NEED HELP
Call for change in the force as sick leave stats are revealed
Police officers took almost 40,000 days off work last year due to stress-related illness.
The Scottish Police Federation say some members have taken their own lives because of pressures they faced at work.
The organisation claim more needs to be done within the single force to train managers in identifying frontline staff who need help.
Official figures reveal Police Scotland, who have 17,170 full-time officers, lost 39,621 working days when cops called in sick over a stress-related illnesses – an equivalent of 2.3 days per working officer.
SPF general secretary David Kennedy said force management continue to fail to recognise when a staff member is struggling with mental health.
He also claimed the force’s disciplinary procedures contribute to stress levels.
Kennedy said: “One officer had a manager try to serve discipline forms on him the day after he tried to take his own life.
“He’d been reported for a low-level criminal allegation and remained under suspicion for more than seven years.
“The Crown Office eventually took no action and the officer retired on ill health.
“We continue to support our members but until the service truly understands and starts to try and change habits and management styles, this will remain a constant threat.
“The problem is allegations are often looked upon as having to be disproved rather than proved. Even when an officer has done nothing wrong, the stress attached to complaints can lead to severe depression and anxiety that far outweighs the seriousness of the original allegations.
“We’ve had officers take their own lives following these pressures. We also have officers who’ve failed in their attempt to take their own life. We have been able to understand from them the pressures that lead to this despair and severe illness.
“The vast majority of members that come to see us are suffering from stress and, of them, more than 70 per cent end up being diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder.
“Sadly, as it’s not a physical injury, officers suffer from certain managers not recognising or understanding the signs.”
Police Scotland’s 6000 civilian workers took a further 16,973 shifts off because of psychological problems. The combined figure resulted in the force losing 56,594 days due to stress-related illness.
Absences covered stress, post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression as well as bipolar disorder, bereavement, debility, dementia, insomnia and post-natal depression. Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said: “Being a police officer is more stressful than the average job but it’s worrying to see increases in those forced off work because of it.”
Assistant Chief Constable Angela McLaren said: “The health and wellbeing of our officers and staff is fundamental to the delivery of policing in Scotland and I’m committed to doing everything I can to support our people.”