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PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: an ISSUE BRIEF This Project Is Supported by Grant No

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PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: an ISSUE BRIEF This Project Is Supported by Grant No NATIONAL OFFICER SAFETY INITIATIVES PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: AN ISSUE BRIEF This project is supported by Grant No. 2018-DP-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary ..................................................................... 3 Prevalence ..................................................................................... 4 Risk and Protective Factors ........................................................ 6 Risk Factors ............................................................................. 6 Protective Factors .................................................................. 8 Challenges to Suicide Prevention ............................................ 10 Cultural Barriers to Help-Seeking ...................................... 10 Lack of Training in Suicide Prevention .............................. 10 Department-Level Challenges ............................................. 11 Suicide Prevention Strategies and Best Practices .................12 Comprehensive Approaches ................................................12 Individual Strategies and Practices ....................................13 Knowledge Gaps .........................................................................18 Suicide-Related Data ............................................................18 Effectiveness of Strategies and Practices ..........................18 Suicide Prevention Among Subgroups ..............................19 Other Knowledge Gaps ........................................................19 Conclusions .................................................................................20 References ................................................................................... 22 NATIONAL OFFICER SAFETY INITIATIVES | 1 PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: AN ISSUE BRIEF INTRODUCTION Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 48,000 lives in 2018 alone.1 Suicidal thoughts and behaviors affect persons of all ages, leading to long-lasting effects on families, friends, workplaces, and communities. Law enforcement professionals are not immune to this serious public health problem. Studies suggest that suicide rates are particularly high among officers and others in public safety occupations.2,3 Although the exact number of officers who die by suicide each year is not currently known, existing research suggests that officers may be more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.4 On a daily basis, officers experience job-related stressors This issue brief is intended to inform the work of the that can range from interpersonal conflicts to extremely National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement traumatic events, such as vehicle crashes, homicide, and Suicide and other stakeholders working to prevent suicide suicide. This cumulative exposure can affect officers’ and promote mental health and wellness among law mental and physical health, contributing to problems such enforcement officers. A project of the U.S. Department as post-traumatic stress symptoms, substance misuse, of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance National Officer depression, and suicidal ideation. Law enforcement Safety Initiatives Program (NOSI), the Consortium was agencies may help mitigate the impact of these stressors formed in October 2018 by the International Association by implementing effective prevention strategies, such as of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in partnership with Education building a culture of support throughout the department; Development Center (EDC) and with support from the ensuring access to culturally competent mental health and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action wellness services; and reducing barriers to help-seeking Alliance), to raise awareness of and prevent suicides within their departments, social circles, and community, as among law enforcement officers. To support these a whole. efforts, this issue brief synthesizes the current state of knowledge regarding the prevention of suicide among law In 2017, Congress passed the Law Enforcement Mental enforcement officers. Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA), recognizing the importance of mental health and wellness to officer The brief presents research findings obtained from a wellbeing and performance, supporting the expansion broad, but not exhaustive, review of research studies of and access to mental health and wellness services. relevant to the prevention of suicide in law enforcement. Signed into law in 2018, the act recognizes that good Contents include the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and psychological health is as essential as good physical behaviors among officers, relevant risk and protective health for law enforcement officers to be effective in factors, effective strategies and best practices for keeping communities safe from crime and violence. Law preventing suicide among officers, and gaps in knowledge enforcement agencies are increasingly incorporating that require additional research. These evidence-based these practices—such as counseling services, peer support findings are intended to inform the development of efforts programs, and training on stress and wellness—into aimed at preventing suicide and supporting mental health their work.5, 6 and wellness among officers. 2 | NATIONAL OFFICER SAFETY INITIATIVES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This issue brief synthesizes the current state of knowledge regarding the prevention of suicide among law enforcement officers. Prevalence Police departments nationwide are increasingly adopting practices aimed at promoting mental health and While the exact number of officers who die by suicide wellness and preventing suicide and related problems each year is not known, research suggests that more (e.g., EAP services, peer support, traumatic incident 4 officers die by suicide each year than in the line of duty. response).5,6 However, these practices vary dramatically The non-profit organization BLUE H.E.L.P. has estimated across agencies. that these deaths increased from 143 to 228, from 2016 to 2019.7 However, these numbers are likely to represent an Knowledge Gaps undercount, as they are derived from Internet searches and volunteer reports made by family members, friends, No national surveillance system currently collects suicide- colleagues, and others. Moreover, suicide deaths are related data specific to law enforcement, such as data often unreported or misreported due to stigma and on suicide deaths, attempts, and ideation. Although law other reasons.8 enforcement agencies are increasingly incorporating programs and practices aimed at supporting mental Risk and Protective Factors health and wellness, few programs have formally evaluated the effectiveness of these efforts. In addition, Law enforcement officers are vulnerable to the same not much is currently known about suicide prevention risk and precipitating factors for suicide as others in the among particular subgroups of officers, such as women, general population, such as mental illness, substance racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ populations, military misuse, social isolation, relationship problems, and legal service members and veterans, and officers transitioning and financial issues. Additional factors more specific to retirement or to another career. to the law enforcement profession include exposure to suicide and other traumatic events (e.g., child abuse, Conclusions violence, death of a colleague), easy access to firearms and skills in their use, and organizational stressors (e.g., Law enforcement agencies should implement shift work, administrative burden). Protective factors comprehensive suicide prevention programs that combine that appear particularly relevant to preventing suicide multiple strategies and practices addressing areas such as: among police officers include access to culturally n Leadership and culture appropriate mental health and wellness services, resilience n Access to culturally competent mental health services (particularly skills for coping with work-related stressors), n Peer support and social support. n Suicide prevention training and awareness Evidence-based Strategies and Best Practices n Event response Research suggests that suicide prevention programs are n Family support more likely to succeed when they are comprehensive, n Limiting access to means of suicide i.e., they combine multiple strategies aimed at affecting n Safe and effective messaging risk and protective factors at various levels of influence (individual, interpersonal, community, societal). Examples Agencies should also develop or enhance their data include the 4-component Together for Life program collection systems, so that the data may be used to guide conducted with police officers in Québec, Canada, and the program planning, determine the effectiveness of suicide 11-component U.S. Air Force Suicide Prevention Program. prevention efforts, identify
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