Identifying mental health indices among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Treaty three police service officers

Abstract

Background: Police officers are essential frontline workers tasked with protecting our communities. They are susceptible to adverse mental health exposures, outcomes, and barriers to accessing supports, which may increase their risk of developing mental health problems. In Canada, police officers serve communities municipally, provincially, and federally. In Northwestern Ontario (NWO) self-administered, Indigenous police services are employed to service Northern communities (i.e., Treaty Three Police Service: T3PS). The confluence of contextual factors that exist in Northern communities may contribute to differential exposures that may result in heightened mental illness among these officers. Research Purpose and Objectives: The overarching purpose that guided this study was to identify mental health exposures, adverse mental health outcomes, and barriers to accessing mental health supports among Indigenous and non-Indigenous T3PS officers. Collectively, for the purpose of this study, these indices encapsulate the term “mental health status.” The study purpose was guided by two research objectives including to: (1) determine the mental health status of T3PS officers, and (2) identify the barriers to accessing mental health supports; as experienced by these officers. Methodology: To determine T3PS officers’ mental health status, a battery of questionnaires were administered including: the Critical Incident History Questionnaire for Police Officers (CIHQ), the Brief Trauma Questionnaire (BTQ), and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, 5th Edition (PCL-5). To address the second study objective, the Self Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH scale) was administered. Results: T3PS officers were exposed to work-related (Median= 120; Interquartile Range= 160.75) and non-work-related (Md=3; IQR=3) mental health exposures. [...]