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Traumatic Experiences, PTSD, and Depression Within Police Officers in Alaska

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Abstract

Past research has found that police officers who experience traumatic events on duty are more vulnerable to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms than the general population (Chopko, Am. J. Psychother. 64(1):55–72 2010; Lewis-Schroeder et al. 2018). Police officers also experience traumatic events that are not duty-related, which may have an influence on subsequent PTSD and depressive symptoms, but there is a lack of research into this possibility. This study used a cross-sectional survey of 241 police officers based in Alaska to understand the association of exposure to duty-related and personally experienced trauma and reported PTSD and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that the rate across the entire sample of probable PTSD was 5.4% and the rate of depression was 10.4%. This research found no significant relationship between exposure to duty-related traumatic events and PTSD symptoms. However, there was a significant relationship between the combination of duty-related and personally experienced traumatic events and PTSD symptoms. It is possible that duty-related traumatic experiences alone are not associated with PTSD symptoms because of effective police officer training and desensitization to trauma experienced on duty but more research is needed about this potential explanation. This study points to the need to better understand and address personally experienced trauma among police officers rather than focusing solely on duty-related traumatic experiences.

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The data and materials from the study contain no identifying information and are secured based upon IRB regulations.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all of the police officers for their participation and time. I would also like to express gratitude to my supervisors Gloria Eldridge, Ph.D., and Patrick Dulin, Ph.D., for their time, guidance, and support throughout this process. To my Master’s thesis committee members Brad Myrstol, Ph.D., and Rebecca Robinson, Ph.D., for their expertise, time, and guidance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical-Community Psychology, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Jennifer Pierce

  2. Psychology Department, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Gloria Eldridge

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Correspondence to Jennifer Pierce.

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Ethics Approval

I was provided written consent by both police departments to conduct the research and publish the results. This study was approved by the University of Alaska Anchorage Institutional Review Board (UAA IRB ID 900293–2). 

Consent to Participate

Participants were emailed a survey on Qualtrics and a description of the study. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. If participants continued past the consent form by clicking the button to continue onto the survey, it was assumed consent was given to engage in the research. Participants could discontinue taking the survey at any time.

Consent for Publication

I was provided written consent to conduct the research and all information has been de-identified for the police departments who engaged in the study for publication. Both police departments also provided written consent to publish this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

During the time of data collection, I was working as a police officer in one of the police departments used in the study. I was a patrol officer and had no authority over any participants in the study. All responses to the survey were anonymous and no identifying information was collected. In addition, there were no incentives or consequences if an individual took the survey voluntarily or did not take the survey.

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Pierce, J., Eldridge, G. Traumatic Experiences, PTSD, and Depression Within Police Officers in Alaska. J Police Crim Psych (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-024-09675-w

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