Mental Health and Well-Being of Canadian Police Officers

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Introduction

The problem of the mental state of the police was relevant even before the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 70% of employees in this area reported symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety on each item due to the nature of the profession (Auditor General of Canada, 2017). Over time, the situation in the Canadian police has deteriorated due to the presence of more serious external factors of the pandemic, lockdowns, social distance, the need to perform direct functions, and the death of loved ones (Tehrani, 2022). At the same time, these ailments have long-term dynamics and lead to more severe consequences both at the level of mental health and affect physical. Given the specifics of the police profession, the deterioration of health affects the direct functions of employees responsible for safety in society. Employees who have experienced post-traumatic stress injuries in the workplace may receive government-approved assistance (Government of Canada, 2019). However, the problems of anxiety, fatigue, depression, and stress do not receive such attention, leaving many police officers without support opportunities.

The exacerbated COVID-19 environment is creating unprecedented momentum for these mental health issues. As a consequence of their development, the involvement, satisfaction, and physical professional skills of police officers will decrease (Thompson et al., 2022). Thus, not only the employees become the affected party, but also society as a whole, the safety of which depends on these people.

Solution

Vision

In the ideal model for the development of the Canadian police as a whole, officers can address any mental issues free of charge to the appropriate authorities and rely on individual, possibly anonymous, and professional assistance. At the same time, such departments will not only work with symptoms. One of the tasks will be to identify at the initial stage the needs of the police, the main causes leading to these ailments, and work in communication with other departments to create conditions that minimize risks.

Objectives

Therefore, more specific tasks include conducting surveys of Canadian police officers to create a roadmap for developing such support departments. Polls will allow an understanding of the specifics of this particular law enforcement agency so that the organized sessions of psychological assistance have the best effect. To monitor such activity, surveys should be conducted at least before and after the intervention to track the dynamics and the overall picture. Collaboration with the Government of Canada on this matter is essential as it has the mechanisms and capacity to develop a plan of action similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Human Resources

HRM is becoming a critical area in this regard, as it is in this area that potential solutions are found. First, the psychological aspects of workplace conditions are strongly associated with human activity and its management (Talavera-Velasco et al., 2018). Second, mental health professionals should be brought in to address the underlying problem. Although some may need to undergo appropriate or advanced training to adapt to the specifics of policing, even in this case, allocating human resources is required: finding teachers and trainees and calculating the load on specialists with multiple requests. Finally, HRM has many strategies centered around human factors that are not considered in planning in other areas but have increased in importance during the pandemic (Azizi et al., 2021). Therefore, this department will form the foundation for solving this problem.

Risks

This problem involves the involvement of many medical specialists. The leading global and national risk is a shortage of staff and nurses in this area (Boamah et al., 2021). The consequences of COVID-19 also complicate the issue because this area accounts for most of the load. The redistribution of resources from a problematic sector to the area of the police can be complex on the one hand and the other hand, create risks already in the field of public health. In both situations, shortcomings can significantly impact society, and solutions to the problem must be sought both within the activities of these organizations and at the federal level.

Conclusions

The mental state of the police is an indirect factor in the security of society. Therefore, when the population is at its most vulnerable, particularly during a pandemic, the staff of the relevant authorities should also receive support. Stress and similar ailments increase proportionately, requiring specialists intervention to maintain adequate performance at a high level. As a solution, establishing a department responsible for the control and psychological support of Canadian police officers is proposed.

References

Auditor General of Canada. (2017). Report 4  mental health support for members. Web.

Azizi, M. R., Atlasi, R., Ziapour, A., Abbas, J., & Naemi, R. (2021). Innovative human resource management strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic narrative review approach. Heliyon, 7(6), e07233. Web.

Boamah, S. A., Callen, M., & Cruz, E. (2021). Nursing faculty shortage in Canada: A scoping review of contributing factors. Nursing Outlook, 69(4), 574-588. Web.

Government of Canada. (2019). Supporting Canadas public safety personnel: An action plan on post-traumatic stress injuries. Web.

Talavera-Velasco, B., Luceño-Moreno, L., Martín-García, J., & García-Albuerne, Y. (2018). Psychosocial risk factors, burnout and hardy personality as variables associated with mental health in police officers. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1478. Web.

Tehrani N. (2022). The psychological impact of COVID-19 on police officers. The Police Journal, 95(1), 7387. Web.

Thompson, D. E., Langan, D., & Sanders, C. B. (2022). Policemen, COVID-19, and police culture: navigating the pandemic with colleagues, the public, and family. Policing and Society, 1-14. Web.

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