“Hot, dumpster fire, mess”: Police personnel perceptions of the current state of mental health in law enforcement

Abstract

An abundance of research has focused on police personnel stress and interventions that may reduce the consequences of that stress. What have received less attention, however, are police personnel's perceptions of stress and mental health generally, as well as their perceptions of social norms and departmental views of mental health. Leveraging brief one-on-one interviews conducted with 75 sworn and civilian police personnel of a Southwestern police department, the current study examined police personnel's perceptions about the current state of mental health in law enforcement. In addition, respondents provided insights into injunctive social norms, specifically what they believe their peers think about mental health. Results indicate negative overall perceptions of mental health in policing, from both personal and peer perspectives. Further, respondents highlighted a generational gap in their peers that likely impacted their views on the topic. Implications for policing practice, research, and policy are discussed.