Policing the pandemic: mental toll revealed

16 September 2021

More than three quarters of police officers experienced mental health or wellbeing difficulties over the past year, according to a survey.

The devastating impact of policing during the coronavirus pandemic was highlighted in a new report from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) which followed a survey of 12,471 rank and file police officers.

The report revealed 69 per cent of all respondents linked “work-related difficulties” to their distress. Of these respondents, 58 per cent experienced work-related mental health and wellbeing difficulties and cited heavy workloads as a factor.

The survey also illustrated a gap between officers who sought help and those who chose not to, with just one in five respondents saying they asked for help.

A perceived stigma around declaring mental health or wellbeing issues within policing was also evident, with 41 per cent of those who had received help admitting they didn’t share this information with their line manager because they didn’t want to be treated differently in the workplace.

More positively, the results showed the police service was playing an increasing role in combating mental health issues and that proactive support services were having a constructive impact.

It found 71 per cent of those who sought help for mental health and wellbeing had disclosed this information to line managers, with 67 per cent claiming they were “adequately” supported by the police service after doing so.

A total of 74 per cent indicated they were aware of force provided support services, such as resilience training, mindfulness workshops, and mental health awareness programmes.