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Police Officers' Attitudes, Intentions, and Stereotyping Towards Mental Health Help Seeking Behaviors
Suzanne Hakeos1, Martina Mueller2, Tatiana Davidson2
1Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing.
Abstract:
Police officers have a history of decreased willingness to seek mental health help. Increasing focus has been placed on enhancing the officer's mental wellbeing but has this improved their help-seeking behavior?
Methods:
This cross-sectional quantitative study evaluated officers' mental health help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and stereotyping of others seeking help using mental distress levels. Data was collected from 337 officers across 22 states.
Results:
Statistical significance was found in 1) age and mental distress, 2) gender on help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and stereotyping, and 3) experience and mental distress. Officers reported more positive help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and stereotyping.
Conclusions:
Officers in this study showed improved help-seeking behaviors, positive stereotyping of help-seekers, and the majority of officers fell within the low (0-4) and moderate (5-12) mental distress groups. Results could be due to increased departmental focus on police-centric mental wellbeing services and education.
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