1. Self Identification of Symptoms Related to PTSD and Potential Confounding Variables:
A Quantitative Survey of Police Officers
In a Southeastern Metropolitan Area
Police Department
Heather Jones, MS
CJAG Conference: 2014

2. Purpose of Study
To determine whether police officers who are sworn and employed in a southeastern metropolitan agency will self identify symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and potential confounding variables.

3. Research Questions
Will the sample population self identify PTSD symptoms?
At what level do officers report symptoms?
Has the officer been exposed to trauma?
At what level was the trauma exposure?
What, if any, relationship exists between PTSD symptoms and confounding variables such as:
Gender
Marital Status
Divorce
Dependents
Finances
Military Service

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
…a severe condition that may develop after a person is exposed to one or more, actual or threatened traumatic events, serious injury, or the threat of death to their selves or others. The event involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
DSM IV, 1980, Foa & Tolin, 2006

5. PTSD is Not New
Known as “Soldier’s Heart,” “Shell Shock,” “Nostalgia,” and “Battle Fatigue”
Historical references to the disorder date back to the Trojan War, 3000 year ago
Kates, 2008

6. Symptoms
Avoidance of relationships, activities, or events which may remind the person of the traumatic event
Hyper-arousal
Hyper-vigilance
Feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, and anger
Difficulty sleeping, nightmares
Diminished coping skills
Intrusion of thoughts related to the trauma
Webster, 2008

7. Dangers Self-Medicating Burnout Loss of outside relationships
Stress-related illnesses
Suicide

8. Preventions & Treatments
Briefing
Debriefing
Post- Deployment Counseling (Therapy)
SSRI’s and MDMA
CBT
Eye Movement Desensitization
Ayahausca

9. Police Officers are Uniquely at Risk!

10. Continual Exposure Careers range from 15-25 years
No significant break from trauma
Constant threats
Unique job exposures
Occupational hazards such as trauma exposure: increase risk for aggression both personally and professionally
Can, Hendy, & Imbody, 2013

11. Police Culture Stigma Expectations Police personality Misconceptions
Agencies breeding negative police culture
Internal Stress

12. Review of Literature
PTSD in relation to policing, stress, coping strategies, debriefings, and counseling:
Violanti et. al., 2006: BCOPS study, Buffalo, NY
Rees & Smith, 2007: United Kingdom
Stephens & Miller, 1998: New Zealand
NONE- focus on self identification of symptoms in the Southeastern United States

13. PTSD Among Police, Years of Service, and Age:
Exposure to trauma outside the normal realm of experience
Officers used maladaptive coping skills, more neurotic, less agreeable, and less extroverted
11 years or less of service higher risk
25-39 years of age higher risk
Haisch & Meyers, 2004:254 officers

14. Police Work Environment
Multifaceted role
Symptoms: sleep loss, depression, high levels of intrusion and avoidance symptoms, flashbacks
Incidents involving death or serious injury to the officer: most traumatic
Study concluded: an officers ability to cope with trauma was closely related to the agencies level of support—the politics
Regehr et. al. 2003:11 officers

15. Effects of Trauma Exposure
Impact does not end with retirement
Of 100 officers- 16% depression, 36% PTSD symptoms -higher than that of average non-police
Older officers higher rates of depression
Slightly more female than male in rates of PTSD
Trauma exposure make officers more susceptible to heart disease, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic fatigue.
Violanti et. al., 2006: 100 officers

16. Trauma Exposure: Debriefing
79% of 57 officers who received debriefing displayed higher scores for PTSD than those who did not debrief
Addis & Stephens, 2007: 57 officers

17. Gender Civilians: gender asymmetry Police: gender symmetry
Police: determining difference was how effectively an officers coped with trauma
Lilly et. al., 2009: 157 officers, 124 civilians

18. Marital Status/Officer Relationships
Officer’s ability to cope - positive relationships
Humor diffused stress
Horan et. al., 2012: 40 male and 77 female civilians

19. Other Life Stressors/Confounding Variables
More non-police negative life events- financial troubles, death, divorce, arguments at home or work ---depression increased
Hartley et. al., 2007: 100 officers
Financial dependents in relation to police and trauma- no literature located

20. The Military (Armed Forces)
“Many military and police prior to recent years- had two things working against them. No one warned them they might re-experience traumatic events and no one trained them in how to best handle it.”
Grossman, 2008
Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the National Center for PTSD, and the IACP concur military and police agencies must be on the forefront regarding intervention, treatment, and symptoms
Webster, 2008

21. Study Design Survey quantitative, cross sectional design
All directional hypothesis will be tested at the .05 level with a two tailed , z-test (anticipated sample of 150 officers)
Mean, Mode, frequency distribution, and standard error

22. Limitations Consent: agency, officers, and IRB
Self reporting: memory, reluctance to disclose sensitive information, inability to self identity symptoms
Participant knowledge or understanding of PTSD
Fear of judgment, retaliation, or labeling by peers of agency
Study should be replicated at similar agencies for reliability as well as those outside the metro area for comparison

23. Outcomes and Conclusion
Study is significant and unique- it will provide regionally specific information
Provides insight into the level and frequency of PTSD symptoms among officers.
Explain relationships between an officer’s level of PTSD symptoms and life’s confounding variables (outside stressors)

24. Self Identification of Symptoms Related to PTSD and Potential Confounding Variables:
A Quantitative Survey of Police Officers
In a Southeastern Metropolitan Area
Police Department
Heather Jones, MS
CJAG Conference: 2014

25. Hypotheses
An officer’s gender is not related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
An officer’s years of police service is related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms
An officer’s current marital status is related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms
Presence of divorce in an officer’s life is related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
The number of times an officer has been divorced is related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
Remaining divorce conflict is related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
Presence of dependents is related to an officer’s level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
The number of dependents is related to an officer’s level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
An officer’s departmental earnings are related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
An officer’s off-duty earnings are related to their level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
Previous military service is related to an officer’s level of self identified PTSD symptoms
Years of military service is related to an officer’s level of self identified PTSD symptoms.
Current military service is related to an officer’s level of self identified PTSD symptoms.