Stress Awareness Month: Help is out there for officers who are struggling

SPEAKING during Stress Awareness Month, the Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation has said that help is out there for officers who are struggling and that it is important to talk about mental health.

PFEW’s January 2021 Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey revealed that almost 80% of officers have struggled with their mental health and wellbeing over the past 12 months.

Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “Stress is a serious problem within policing and sadly is not going anywhere soon.”

He continued: “I want to encourage officers to engage with methods of helping minimise the effects of stress by looking at the ‘Backup Buddy’ app that the force has provided, and make sure that you talk to each other as much as possible.”

The Backup Buddy gives practical advice to officers about how to maintain good mental health, spot the warning signs in themselves and others, and where to get help if they need it. It has a directory of useful contacts, and signposts users towards 24-hour support for officers and staff. The app is available on iPhone or Android. 

Steve said his message to members was to not be afraid of approaching their local Federation rep or the Federation office if they needed help.

He added: “We will continue to push as much as possible to get the unique stresses within the police recognised locally and nationally, with a view to more being done to deal with it.”