{"id":3181,"date":"2016-11-29T12:02:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T12:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essexfedfocus.co.uk\/?p=3181"},"modified":"2016-11-29T12:02:59","modified_gmt":"2016-11-29T12:02:59","slug":"officers-twice-as-likely-to-take-time-off-for-mental-health-illnesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essexfedfocus.co.uk\/?p=3181","title":{"rendered":"Officers twice as likely to take time off for mental health illnesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

MENTAL health illnesses are twice as likely to force police officers and staff suffer to take significant time off work than physical injuries.<\/p>\n

More than 10,000 officers and staff participated in the Police Dependants’ Trust survey, which shows that of those taking a week off work because of injury, 42% said it was because of depression, anxiety, stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) \u2013 compared to 21% for a physical assault.<\/p>\n

The research, which was conducted by the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey, lays bare the scale of \u201cinvisible injuries\u201d in the UK police service.<\/p>\n

Officers and staff are telling their bosses that the service is facing a mental health crisis and that when the perils of police work make them ill, they are not being provided with the support that they need to get better and return to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur research tells us officers are being let down \u2013 perhaps unintentionally \u2013 but they are being let down,\u201d said Gill Scott-Moore, CEO of the Police Dependants\u2019 Trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolicing is taking its toll on those with physical injuries, but even more so on colleagues who are dealing with psychological trauma. These invisible injuries need to be seen and understood, not just by the police forces but by politicians and the wider public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other results from the survey of 10,987 serving police officers and staff include:<\/p>\n