STATEMENT - August 28, 2017 - University of Regina / CIPSRT Study on Mental Illness Within Policing

09/05/17 - 05/09/18

The release of the study “Assessing Operational Stress Injuries and Symptoms for Canadian First Responders and other Public Safety Personnel (CIPSRT AX1),” by the University of Regina / Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), provides timely, evidence-based confirmation as to the extent of this issue within the policing community. The dynamics of policing dictates that police personnel are exposed to a unique and difficult set of job-related hazards

Mental Illness within policing has been a strategic priority of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) for some time. The CACP has continued a partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), with the objective of increasing police awareness and competencies in both professional interactions in the community and the police agency workplace environment. In February, 2015, the CACP and MHCC hosted “The Conference on Mental Readiness: Strategies for Psychological Health and Safety in Police Organizations” focusing on police mental health in the workplace. In February, 2017, we jointly hosted “The Mental Health of Personnel: What We Know and What We Need to Know and Do.”

“The results of this study confirm the situation our members have conveyed during consultations and the development of a national strategy,” stated CACP President Directeur Mario Harel. “In performing their duties, police personnel, indeed all first-responders, must not only deal with the situation, they must deal with the impact of the situation on their mental health. The study provides a body of scientific evidence that clearly identifies and defines the extent of mental wellness within the policing environment.”

In addition to the MHCC, the CACP has been collaborating with the Canadian Police Association (CPA), the Canadian Association of Police Governance (CAPG), the CACP Research Foundation (CACP-RF), Public Safety Canada (PSC) and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT).

“Together, our focus has been to enhance our knowledge and organizational skill and improving the mental health of all our personnel. We will carry on these efforts and build upon the knowledge we have gained from the study. We continue to call upon all levels of government to invest in mental health for first responders,” stated Directeur Harel.

To read the full journal article visit:

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0706743717723825

About the CACP:

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police was established in 1905 and represents approximately 1,000 police leaders from across Canada.  The Association is dedicated to the support and promotion of efficient law enforcement and to the protection and security of the people of Canada. Through its member police chiefs and other senior police executives, the CACP represents in excess of 90% of the police community in Canada which include federal, First Nations, provincial, regional and municipal, transportation and military police leaders.