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Police Officer Suicide: NSW Police Force. 1999 to 2005

Police Officer Suicide: NSW Police Force. 1999 to 2005. Stephen W. Barron. Research Goals:. To investigate suicide by NSW Police Officers using a Psychological Autopsy Protocol. Identify the key psychological, social and occupational factors associated with police officer suicide.

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Police Officer Suicide: NSW Police Force. 1999 to 2005

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  1. Police Officer Suicide:NSW Police Force.1999 to 2005 Stephen W. Barron Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  2. Research Goals: • To investigate suicide by NSW Police Officers using a Psychological Autopsy Protocol. • Identify the key psychological, social and occupational factors associated with police officer suicide. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  3. SUICIDE: A MULTI-FACTORIAL EVENT Psychiatric IllnessCo-morbidity Neurobiology Personality Disorder/Traits Impulsiveness Substance Use/Abuse Hopelessness Severe Medical Illness Suicide Family History Access To Weapons Psychodynamics/ Psychological Vulnerability Life Stressors Suicidal Behavior Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  4. PSYCHOSOCIAL SITUATION: LIFE STRESSORS • Recent severe, stressful life events associated with suicide in vulnerable individuals (Moscicki 1997). • Stressors include interpersonal loss or conflict, economic problems, legal problems, and moving (Brent et al 1993b, Lesage et al 1994, Rich et al 1998a, Moscicki 1997). • High risk stressor: humiliating events, e.g., financial ruin associated with scandal, being arrested or being fired (Hirschfeld and Davidson 1988) – can lead to impulsive suicide. • Identify stressor in context of personality strength, vulnerabilities, illness, and support system. • All studies are reviews Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  5. PROTECTIVE FACTORS • Children in the home, except among those with postpartum psychosis • Pregnancy • Deterrent religious beliefs • Life satisfaction • Reality testing ability • Positive coping skills • Positive social support • Positive therapeutic relationship Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  6. The Psychological Autopsy protocol. • An investigative technique where the aim is to gather enough information about the circumstances of a persons death (suicide) to gain an understanding of the reasons for that death (suicide), Hawton et al (1998) Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  7. Psychological Autopsy • Method is speculative, probabilistic and results in a professional opinion regarding the causes and events which may have contributed to the decision to suicide. • Present protocol was adapted from De Leo & Evans (2002) study of suicide in Qld. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  8. Methodology/Data • Comprehensive review of all deaths reported to the NSW Coroner of Police Officers – 1999 to May 2005. • Mortality rate of serving police officers was 190 deaths (NSW Police HR data) within the sampled years, with • 103 deaths reported to the NSW Coroner. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  9. NSW Police Mortality • Heart Disease – 10 deaths, • Accidents – 8 deaths, • Motor Vehicle collisions – 11 deaths, • Homicide – 8 deaths, • Alcohol related abuse – 2 deaths, • Suicide – 35 deaths, • Other causes – 25 deaths, • Unknown causes – 4 deaths. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  10. NSW Police Mortality cont’d • 9 deaths of police officers whilst on duty: • 4 traveling in police vehicles, • 3 firearm related wounds, and • 2 officers stabbed. • Overall: 4.7% of all deaths are on duty, • Suicide rate accounts for 18% of all NSW police officer deaths. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  11. Suicide Rate comparison. • NSW (2005) – suicide rate 11.5 per 100,000 (gen. pop’n.) • NSW Police (2005) – suicide rate of 20.7 per 100,000. • U.S. best ‘guestimate’ – 18 per 100,000 (Aamodt & Werlick, 1999) Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  12. Suicide Frequency (1999-2005) Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  13. Demographic Data. • Males – 32: Females – 2 • Mean age: 35 years, • Marital status: • Married: 40% • Single: 31.5% • De facto: 11.5% • Separated: 14% • Divorced: 3% Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  14. Demographic data cont’d. • Religious affiliation: • Catholic – 74% • Anglican, Church of England – 17% (1995 study of police recruits – 35% C of E and 36% Roman Catholic). Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  15. Demographic data cont’d. • Location – 47% at home: 20% at a police station, • Years of service – 34% with less than 12 months service (average), and 51% with less then 10 years of years of service, • 57 % of officers committed suicide had children. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  16. Occupational Stressors. • Performance/adjustment issues – 31%, • Problematic work relationships – 17%, • Under investigation – 22% (underestimate: since internal complaint figures were not available), • Work related trauma – 8.5%. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  17. Method of Suicide. • Hanging - 17%, • Firearm - 43%, • Drug overdose - 14%, • Motor Vehicle exhaust - 9%, • Other - 17%. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  18. Suicide Communication. • Overall: 43% communicated suicide intent with other persons, including family, friends and work colleagues. • 38% of officers who committed suicide left a suicide note. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  19. Contact with Medical Practitioners prior to death. • Visited their G.P’s within 1 day – 3 months prior to death – 34%, • Visited mental health professional within 12 months of their death – 40%, • Taking medications at time of death – 40% (anti-depressants most common). Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  20. Presence of Mental Illness at time of death. • Overall: 77% of deceased officers indicated some evidence of mental illness, • Of these: • Depressive Disorders – 31.5%, • Personality Disorders – 14%, • Anxiety - 14%, • Schizophrenia - 6%, • No indications - 23%. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  21. Other Results. • Acute events – 40% of deaths, • Binge or heavy alcohol use – 30%, • Smokers – 66%, • Referred by NSW Police for intervention – 51.5%, • Presence of negative life events – 63%, • Presence of trigger event – 20%, • Relationship b’down within 12 months – 60%. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  22. Officer Suicide Risk Profile. • Characteristics: • Personal - male, about 35 years of age, married, catholic, residing at home with spouse/partner and children, smoker. • Social – moderate to heavy drinker, affected by alcohol at death, access to firearm, communicated intention to family or work colleague, relationship breakdown within 12 months and increased negative life events within 3 months of death. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  23. Risk Profile cont’d. • Characteristics Cont’d: • Occupational – less than 10 years of service, currently under investigation for work related incident or performance issue, referred for workplace support/assessment, whose work related problems are known by colleagues and/or managers. • Psychological – recent history of mental illness (usually depression), taking prescribed medication, no previous history or suicide, no previous attempts, visited medical practitioner 3 months prior to death. Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  24. ‘Healthy Worker’ bias effect.(Carpenter, 1987). • Form of positive selection bias regarded as occupational protective factors re suicide risk: • Pre-recruitment and selection screening, including multi-level selection processes, • Cohesiveness of the organisation, • Medical and mental illness support, • Perceived meaningfulness of employment. • (Violanti, 1996; Hourani et al, 1999; Miller, 2000; Agerbo, 2005). Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  25. Issue. • When we consider the ‘Healthy Worker’ effect, excluding the unemployed, mentally ill, elderly, young and adolescent risk takers, drug and alcohol abusers, people with no access to support:- • For police we might then expect a lower than general population average for suicide – or does the availability of firearms explain the difference? Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

  26. Questions? • Contact: • sbarron@csu.edu.au Stephen Barron, PsychLaw Conference - 2007.

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