Police officer wellness: findings from the national wellness survey for public safety personnel

Purpose This study examined police officer wellness using data from a large national survey of public safety personnel. It described mental health symptoms, stressors, coping strategies, resource use and barriers to care among law enforcement officers (LEOs) and examined how wellness outcomes varied across officer and organizational characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, responses from 6,522 individuals who had served in sworn law enforcement roles were analyzed. Validated self-report screening measures assessed anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, alcohol-related risk and suicidal ideation. Descriptive analyses were supplemented with multivariable logistic regression models examining associations between wellness outcomes and officer experience, agency size, weekly work hours, supervisory status and demographic characteristics. Findings LEOs reported substantial occupational and personal stressors, along with barriers to help-seeking related to stigma, confidentiality concerns, career impact and preferences for self-reliance. Based on established screening thresholds, 16.9% screened positive for clinically elevated anxiety, 16.2% for depression, 19.9% for alcohol-related risk and 21.1% of those completing the PCL-5 screened positive for clinically significant posttraumatic stress symptoms. Longer weekly work hours were consistently associated with elevated anxiety, depression and PTSD-related outcomes, whereas alcohol-related risk was more strongly associated with years of service and relationship status. Originality/value This study provides a large national description of police wellness and highlights workload as a consistent correlate of mental health burden, underscoring the need for accessible and confidential wellness supports for LEOs.