title: Mental-health conditions, barriers to care, and productivity loss among officers in an urban police department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Police officers are frequently exposed to situations that can negatively impact their mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted this study of an urban police department to determine 1) the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and alcohol abuse; 2) patterns of and barriers to mental-health services utilization; and 3) the impact these conditions have on productivity loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 150 officers, PTSD (24%), depression (9%), and alcohol abuse (19%) were common. Only46.7% had ever sought mental-health services; the most commonly cited barriers to accessing serviceswere concerns regarding confidentiality and the potential"negative career impact." Officers with mental-health conditions had higher productivity loss (5.9% vs 3.4%, P<0.001) at an annual cost of $4,489 per officer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental-health conditions among police officers are common, and costly, yet most officers had never accessed mental-health services; many due to modifiable risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Mayur M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Karissa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Britten
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luneau
authors.forename: Marjorie S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016495:Police / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population