Police officers are not strangers to mental health—both from answering calls for service and from their own traumatic experiences on the job. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there will be many public service campaigns to try to stem suicides and to work on bringing awareness of checking in on your mental health and the mental health of those around you.
According to a report by CNA Corporation, an analysis of information on police officers' mental health showed officers experienced suicidal ideation at approximately twice the rate of the general population. With the increased access to artificial intelligence and machine learning, agencies should consider using technology to help track and mitigate stress, trauma exposure, and other mental health concerns in police officers.
What the Numbers Say
Larger agencies with more than 100 full-time sworn officers represent the majority of law enforcement deaths by suicide. These agencies encompass nearly 11% of all law enforcement agencies nationwide, yet public safety deaths by suicide for this group of agencies is 61%. Significantly, 68% of deaths by suicide occur at the officer rank, 21% held mid-management roles, and approximately 7% were investigators.
Currently, serving law enforcement personnel accounted for 72% of deaths, according to the report. Can using technology and associated applications help officers through issues with their mental health? Some recent improvements in wearable technology and machine learning show promise in tracking officer mental health and overall well-being.
How Technology Can Help
Many commercial wearable sensor technology (WST) devices are available to track activity level, time spent on the activity, and heart rate. WST advancements continue to improve and could prove beneficial in tracking officer health and safety. A study conducted through the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) on behalf of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) found that commercially available WSTs are not yet accurate enough to inform decision-making in a law enforcement environment.
While they may not drive decision-making in the field, WSTs can help officers track their physical and mental health. Monitoring heart rate during times of low stress versus times of high stress after a call can provide insights into stress management. Tracking sleep between shifts and monitoring associated sleep patterns can also provide clues to mental health. Checking heart rates after overtime shifts or shifts with little sleep in between could signal health concerns that can be handled before they escalate. WSTs can also track sleep and remind the wearer to exercise, drink water, or engage in other healthy activities.
Using the Data
With tracking comes data and data analysis. Capturing data also allows sharing that data with other systems, such as training simulators. The biometric data collected could help officers learn to control their stress levels through practice. Minimizing stress can help cardiovascular and mental health, weight gain, and sleep while having other positive impacts. The WSTs would also save the biometric information for later review to help provide training feedback.
Unlike calls for service or investigation data, information from the WSTs would include an individual’s health information, such as heart rate, weight, sleep patterns, exercise, food consumption, and more. Similar health-related apps that many people have on their smartphones share that data anonymously with the app company, and most users agree to share the data to use the app. With data gathered and analyzed by a law enforcement agency, there are concerns about who can access this data and what privacy rules should be determined before implementing this data collection.
Tools for Self-Care
Several factors contribute to police officer’s mental health. With changing schedules, different sleep patterns, trauma witnessed on the job, and the stigma attached to seeking help, those who work in public safety need to safeguard their health—both physical and mental. Currently available technology, like WSTs and mobile apps, can help track health-related metrics and provide reminders. Subtle pushes from the app or WST toward healthier behaviors can lead to habit changes over time.
Managing the dangers linked to mental health through stress and trauma can be challenging. Healthy habits like maintaining work/life balance, devoting time to rest and relaxation, journaling, finding time to be with friends away from the job, and participating in hobbies can help alleviate stress and improve resiliency. And technology can play an essential part in helping law enforcement staff manage and improve their mental health.
About the Author
Toni Rogers is a freelance writer and former manager of police support services, including communications, records, property and evidence, database and systems management, and building technology. She has a master’s degree in Criminal Justice with certification in Law Enforcement Administration and a master's degree in Digital Audience Strategies.
During her 18-year tenure in law enforcement, Toni was a certified Emergency Number Professional (ENP), earned a Law Enforcement Inspections and Auditing Certification, was certified as a Spillman Application Administrator (database and systems management for computer-aided dispatch and records management), and a certified communications training officer.
Toni now provides content marketing and writing through her company, Eclectic Pearls, LLC.
