Traumatic events in the workplace: impact on psychopathology and healthcare use of police officers.

This retrospective study examined the impact of exposure to duty-related traumatic events and of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among 159 Canadian police officers. Structured interviews were conducted (1) to assess the presence or absence of exposure to work-related traumatic events; (2) to identify the most traumatic incident; (3) to determine PTSD status (i.e., full, partial or no PTSD); and (4) to diagnose psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, depression, and substance-related disorders). Healthcare use, hardiness, and coping were assessed with self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and Student's t-tests. Results showed that trauma-exposed officers were no more likely to have psychopathology at time of study and did not score differently on measures of hardiness and coping than non-exposed officers. However trauma-exposed officers who developed full or partial PTSD were significantly more likely to experience depression in the aftermath of trauma than exposed officers without PTSD. After the trauma, police with full PTSD were significantly more likely to have medical appointments, consult a mental health professional, be on sick leave, and score lower on a hardiness measure than officers without PTSD. Full PTSD affected subsequent psychopathology, healthcare use, and hardiness. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.