Police Stress: History, Contributing Factors, Symptoms,and Interventions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the stressors involved in an occupation at potential risk – the profession of law enforcement.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the history of police stress studies. It describes prevention and treatment programs that have unfortunately not been sufficiently utilized because of the police culture.Findings – The documented symptoms of stress include digestive orders, cardiovascular diseas, alcoholism, domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicide. While some police officers start their careers in excellent physical health, some retire early or even die from job-related stress disorders if the cumulative impact of stress exacts its toll.Originality/value – The paper offers a description of COP.2.COP a confidential hotline for officers and their families staffed by retired officers and licensed professionals.