Stress disorders are more noticeable in Canadian police officers

By Alexandra Latremouille

7 Nov. 2014

Canadian police officers are experiencing Operational Stress Injuries at a rate comparable to military personnel, according to the Tema Conter Memorial Trust.

Twelve active police officers committed suicide because of OSI between December 2013 and April 2014, and 10 Canadian military veterans have committed suicide for the same reason between November 2013 and February 2014.

“OSI affects police the same way as anyone else,” said Russ Hazael, a retired detective sergeant of the LaSalle Police Service. “As an officer, you’re exposed to very traumatic events, just like people in the military. These things stay with you.”

For military personnel, OSI is usually triggered by engaging in combat, seeing terrorist attacks or viewing natural disasters. For police, the causes are somewhat more subtle.

“You know, it’s an individual thing,” said Hazael. “There are guys who are stationed in busy places and they see a lot of crazy things. It isn’t as widely discussed because not everyone is in these places.”

According to Kevin O’Neil, the Community Services Officer of the Leamington Police Department, having long hours, a heavy workload and dealing with violence are the primary causes of stress disorders in police officers.

“Until about four or five years ago, people didn’t know we experienced things like OSI,” said O’Neil. “They didn’t know we had this much stress. It wasn’t until people came back from Afghanistan that they started making connections between us.”

Due to their experiences, police officers and veterans often have comparable coping methods such as substance abuse. Both also tend to have strained emotional relationships, as stated by Paul G. Brown, a criminology professor at the University of Arkansas.

“Separation issues can definitely cause stress in a family,” said the Windsor Regiment’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel David Lafreniere. “That’s why we try to help our soldiers and their families get resources on what to expect when they return.”

Several help centres, phone lines and websites are available to aid officers and veterans with stress disorders. These include the Veterans Affairs Canada Assistance Service, which aids soldiers and their families, and the Canadian Police/Mental Health Liaison. The latter provides information and assistance to people involved with police services.

In spite of this, Lafreniere maintains family members are the most essential resources for returning veterans and officers.