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Contamination of Cop: Secondary Traumatic Stress of Officers Responding to Civilian Suicides (From Suicide and Law Enforcement, P 337-355, 2001, Donald C. Sheehan and Janet I. Warren, eds. -- See NCJ-193528)

NCJ Number
193559
Author(s)
John Nicoletti; Sally Spencer-Thomas
Date Published
2001
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Because police response to civilian suicide is uncharted territory for the field of mental health, this article drew from three well-researched areas to develop a model: secondary traumatic stress, critical incidents in law enforcement, and suicides in the helping professions.
Abstract
Primary traumatic stress occurs when a person is directly in harm's way, and it can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder. Secondary traumatic stress affects those who are supporters or helpers of the traumatized person. Secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) is apparently both a function of the victim and of the trauma. External factors of the trauma make exposure to the experience distressing for those who interact with persons directly involved. Victims of STSD also have internal factors that make them vulnerable to STSD, such as guilt related to a perception that they did not do all that was necessary to prevent or respond to a tragedy. A second area to explore when developing hypotheses about police response to suicide is the literature on critical incidents in law enforcement. The literature indicates that suicide calls pull many officers out of their comfort zones by placing them in the role of "emotional supporter" to the survivors. An actively suicidal person is both potentially violent and depressing; thus, officers may be exposed to both primary and secondary traumatic stressors. For those in helping professions, suicide compounds the personal response similar to family survivors, in that the professional questions, "How did I fail this person?" The frequent second-guessing in the aftermath of suicide suggests that police officers may share similar personal and professional crises with those in other helping professions. In an effort to test the hypotheses derived from the aforementioned three areas of the literature, the authors received 103 completed questionnaires from police officers in two suburban Colorado departments. The survey used three modes of assessment to determine officers' response patterns in civilian suicides: a symptom checklist, a qualitative description, and a standardized questionnaire. The survey results indicate that in the aftermath of civilian suicides, many officers experience an adverse stress response that approximates STSD. Further, there is apparently an additive effect from multiple suicide calls. Re-experiencing the event and anger toward the suicide victim were the most common symptoms, and humor and social support were the most common coping strategies. Officers should receive specific training in the handling of suicides and the management of associated stress. Debriefings for officers who experience distressing suicide calls should also be considered. Suggestions are offered for additional research. 5 figures