Mentor/s
Professor Daniel Rober Professor Michelle Loris
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
All work facilities and organizations need to implement mental health resources for their employees. Millions across the country, especially first responders, suffer in silence everyday as they work to tend to the needs of others. There are many individuals who feel as if they can’t address the anxiety, stress, or depressive states they may be in due to what is expected of them in the workplace. Rather than addressing their own mental health needs, they bottle up their emotions, never receiving the proper treatment or guidance to get them through difficult times. As individuals continue to put their mental health needs off to the side and not receive proper treatment, the suicide rate in the country will continue to significantly increase. It is time to address the mental health issues of our first responders, particularly, police officers.
Over the course of this presentation I will provide an analysis of depression amongst police officers and how it has led to an increase in police suicides. I will examine work from researchers who have studied the effects of depression amongst officers and why many tend to never address their mental health issues. I will then evaluate how different factors, such as police work and putting their lives on the line contribute to the mental health issues that many officers have. Once the aspects of the job of a police officer have been evaluated, I will then examine how officers are portrayed and perceived by society contributing to the increase in suicides. Through the process of evaluating society’s portrayal of officers and the everyday crime that an officer sees and battles, I will then be able to discuss how department culture, such as race, sex, and masculinity also contribute to this ongoing epidemic. Finally, once all factors have been evaluated, I will then look to what departments are currently providing for the officers in regard to mental health and what must be done in order to prevent future police suicides from occurring. The analysis I will provide will not only address this importance of this particular topic but will open the eyes of many that our first responders face many battles, both physically and mentally.
College and Major available
Welch College of Business, Accounting, Finance
Location
Digital Commons
Start Day/Time
4-24-2020 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-24-2020 4:00 PM
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Creative, Most Meaningful
Depression Amongst Law Enforcement Officers Leading To An Increase In Police Suicide
Digital Commons
All work facilities and organizations need to implement mental health resources for their employees. Millions across the country, especially first responders, suffer in silence everyday as they work to tend to the needs of others. There are many individuals who feel as if they can’t address the anxiety, stress, or depressive states they may be in due to what is expected of them in the workplace. Rather than addressing their own mental health needs, they bottle up their emotions, never receiving the proper treatment or guidance to get them through difficult times. As individuals continue to put their mental health needs off to the side and not receive proper treatment, the suicide rate in the country will continue to significantly increase. It is time to address the mental health issues of our first responders, particularly, police officers.
Over the course of this presentation I will provide an analysis of depression amongst police officers and how it has led to an increase in police suicides. I will examine work from researchers who have studied the effects of depression amongst officers and why many tend to never address their mental health issues. I will then evaluate how different factors, such as police work and putting their lives on the line contribute to the mental health issues that many officers have. Once the aspects of the job of a police officer have been evaluated, I will then examine how officers are portrayed and perceived by society contributing to the increase in suicides. Through the process of evaluating society’s portrayal of officers and the everyday crime that an officer sees and battles, I will then be able to discuss how department culture, such as race, sex, and masculinity also contribute to this ongoing epidemic. Finally, once all factors have been evaluated, I will then look to what departments are currently providing for the officers in regard to mental health and what must be done in order to prevent future police suicides from occurring. The analysis I will provide will not only address this importance of this particular topic but will open the eyes of many that our first responders face many battles, both physically and mentally.
Students' Information
Molly Hughes
Major: Accounting and Finance
Honors Student
Graduation Year: 2021