Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Ross Alexander

Abstract

Law enforcement officers experience traumatic events that can have an impact on their health and their career. Regardless of the continued research on police and mental health, challenges persist. The stigma is that law enforcement officers are tough and keep their emotions to themselves; however, they are human, like the community they serve. Due to possible consequences related to officers discussing having mental health problems after critical incidents, police officers may be reluctant to seek help due to backlash. Interviews were completed in a two-tier format that led to follow-up questions with surveys specifically related to alcohol and burnout found in the public domain to assist in the results of this study. The purpose of this study was to better understand female police officers’ perceptions about how responding to a critical incident impacts mental health in policing. The conceptual framework research in this study was the strain theory. The 10 participants were interviewed about incidents they responded to and how they felt emotionally post incident; they were asked about the culture of their police agency and if they were offered any wellness assistance. Data were collected and analyzed, and the themes and codes provided an adequate understanding of the participants’ responses and how they related to the research questions of this study. The identified codes provided awareness of how the participants viewed their agency’s culture and career. Their experience and personal knowledge can help promote positive social change by helping policymakers and police leaders implement new policies and wellness programs, making it a safer and more eventful career in law enforcement.

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