‘Significant’ stress symptoms in police
The first in-depth piece of research regarding post-traumatic stress (PTS) within police has revealed more than 1900 former and current officers and employees are showing ‘‘significant’’ symptoms of PTS.
Garth den Heyer, a former inspector turned international policing researcher, was author of the study, completed by 4489 members of the Police Association.
It found 1925 respondents, 42.8 per cent, had a score of more than 30, which indicated significant post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Of those, 947 were serving members. About 14 per cent, 641 respondents, had scores of more than 45, indicating a potential clinical PTS diagnosis. Of those, 283 were serving members.
Of the constabulary staff, 68 per cent said they had been assaulted, 22 per cent said they had been shot at or had a firearm presented at them or had worked in one, two or three-person stations.
Den Heyer said all were associated with an increase in the likelihood of PTS symptoms and that PTS was prevalent among serving, resigned and retired police members, and exposure to trauma, especially prolonged trauma, was significantly associated with PTS.
The study involved an 80question electronic survey. The
questions were designed to assess causes and symptoms of PTS and related behaviours such as ‘‘hazardous’’ drinking and insomnia.
The results were published in the Police Association’s monthly publication, Police News.
Safer people initiative director Superintendent Mel Aiken said the study provided a rare insight into the mental wellbeing of staff, past and present.
The research showed PTS symptoms were more prevalent among police employees than military personnel, who conducted the same survey in April last year.
The military survey found one in three respondents had symptoms of PTS and one in 10 was likely to be diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder.
The findings come as no surprise to former officer Matt Davis, who was previously diagnosed with PTSD. In May last year, Davis presented a petition to Parliament calling on changes to ACC legislation, to recognise and cover cumulative trauma as a cause of work-related mental injury.
In 2016 while working in Marton, Davis’ police vehicle was rammed by a driver he had pulled over. He experienced postconcussion syndrome and was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury.
‘‘I spent the next three or four months off work, I was having continuous flashbacks. People go on about flashbacks but until you have experienced them, you can’t imagine what they are like.’’
Davis later became suicidal and his marriage broke down.
In 2018, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and discovered ACC’s criteria didn’t recognise cumulative trauma as a cause of work-related mental injury, only if a single significant event had occurred. ‘‘Thankfully, we were able to put it down to the car crash, because that was a significant event. But in reality, it was the accumulation of hundreds of events.’’
In January, Davis left the police after 17 years, to take up a position with the Department of Conservation. He said he’s now in the best place he has ‘‘ever been in’’ with his life.