Stress and Suicide in Police Officers: Paradigm of Occupational Stress
Abstract
All occupations are associated with stress, but certain occupations are significantly more stressful than others. Stress is not always harmful. It is the individual's reaction to stress that determines the outcome, ie, whether the individual will adapt or become maladaptive. Individuals who feel they can control events or are in control of their lives are better able to handle stress than individuals who believe they are the victims of fate or chance and who feel powerless and helpless. For those individuals who feel powerless or helpless, suicide may be a means of taking control over their helplessness. Police officers, who are subject to extraordinary stress, present a paradigm for the study and treatment of stress in other occupations.
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Police officers have elevated rates of burnout, depression, suicide, and anxiety.
“Exposure to acute and chronic stress is reflected in elevated officer rates of burnout [2, 3], depression [4], suicide [5–7], and anxiety [8].”
Cited by
Sorted by citations
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Physical evidence of police officer stress
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- Authors
- McCAFFERTY, F. L., McCAFFERTY, E., & McCAFFERTY, M. A.
- Venue
- Southern Medical Journal
- Publisher
- Southern Medical Association
- Published
- 1992-03
- Volume
- 85
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 233-243
- ISSN
- 0038-4348 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1505209788
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Southern Medical Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policing Practices and Perceptions
- Keywords
- occupational stress, suicide, police officers, helplessness, perceived control, stress adaptation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Occupational Diseases, Stress, Psychological, Suicide, United States, Police
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