Author: Stephen A. Bishopp
Author’s Email Address: Author’s Agency or Organization: Dallas Police Department/Caruth Police Institute
Author or Author Agency’s Web site: http://www.untdallas.edu/cpi
A wide body of research has demonstrated that police officers are profoundly affected by the jobs they do. Faced with stress, officers learn to adapt by incorporating coping techniques. The current study utilizes general strain theory to explain occurrences of the most dangerous maladaptive coping technique: suicide ideation. Police officers from three large cities in Texas were surveyed. We found that stress is significantly related to officers’ suicide ideation; however, there are important risk factors to consider. Additionally, important differences in suicide ideation outcomes between men and women police officers were found. Continue reading