Ask for our support if you are struggling at work

OFFICERS need to feel comfortable asking for help and support if they are struggling with mental health issues at work.

Zuleika Payne, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said the service must “remove the stigma” of mental health issues and support officers.

She was responding to a Freedom of Information request which showed that 219 federated officers in South Yorkshire have taken time off for illnesses such as stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD in the past year.

That figure has increased from 165 two years ago and 201 last year.

Zuleika said: “Those figures don’t come as any surprise. Certainly we are doing a lot to promote mental health and wellbeing, and trying to remove the stigma that sadly has been clearly present historically, and that has been for too long.

“It’s always saddening to learn that officers are obviously enduring periods of protracted sickness due to stress and related conditions.

“But also it’s important that we get the message out there that people should be proactive in addressing these matters, and feel comfortable in seeking help and support.

“When you take a snapshot of sickness levels and then look further into how much of that sickness is attributed to stress, anxiety and related disorders, then it doesn’t come as any big surprise, sadly.”

Zuleika said that falling officer numbers was undoubtedly a contributory factor.

She added: “Fewer officers are absorbing more work, because the work has never gone away.

“In fact it’s increased because we are so risk averse we’re having to crime and deal with matters that perhaps went under the radar many years ago.

“But because of legacy issues and because of the learning we’ve taken from them, we crime absolutely everything, which means more pressure and increased caseload for officers.

“Hence there is more stress when officers go off sick and fewer officers are then left to absorb that work. The work has never gone away.”