Abstract
The notion of exceptional psychiatric symptoms in agents engaged in undercover work was investigated in a concurrent cross-sectional study of preoperational, operational, and postoperational undercover agents in a federal law enforcement agency. The incidence of psychiatric disturbance and severity of symptomatology were found to be highest among active undercover agents. Mental disturbances tended to be more pronounced among younger agents with little or no prior undercover experience who were engaged in long-term investigations. The symptomatic profiles of distressed agents were similar in pattern to those of general psychiatric outpatients, and these profiles do not support claims of exceptional disturbances brought on by the unique nature of undercover work. Conventional self-report instruments, however, may not have adequately sampled the unusual reactions described in other accounts of undercover distress.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
