Mental health in policing is a \u201cticking timebomb\u201d about to explode, the Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation has warned.<\/p>\n
A total of 39% of sick days taken by police officers in 2023 were due to ill mental health, up from 33% in 2020.<\/p>\n
The figure, obtained by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from The Times, also dwarfed that of other professions in the public sector; including midwives, ambulance staff and doctors.<\/p>\n
Federation boss Steve Kent said forces were \u201csleepwalking into a catastrophe\u201d and the issue was \u201cgoing to be enormous\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said officers worked \u201cstaggeringly long\u201d shifts and would often go move from one \u201chorrendous scene\u201d to another.<\/p>\n
Steve warned: \u201cThe trauma that our officers are absorbing in a 20-35 year career is unbelievable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am seeing and hearing experienced, rock solid officers who never appear to be fazed by the job, who are starting to break.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is because of the sheer workload, the sheer nature of the beast of what we\u2019re dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n
The data obtained via the FOI revealed officers lost 495,000 working days to mental health issues in 2019, according to 42 of the UK\u2019s 45 police forces that responded to the request.<\/p>\n
Last year, that figure had increased by 55% to 774,000 days \u2013 equivalent to five days for each officer.<\/p>\n
Reasons for absence included post-traumatic stress, work-related stress, anxiety, depression and postpartum depression, The Times reported.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cI\u2019m not surprised by the figures and I think it\u2019s going to grow, and it\u2019s going to grow and grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way around this is to significantly boost funding to policing, to boost resilience.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s start putting the proper oil in the engine in the first place and actually stop our cops getting broken in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has to be done as an absolute emergency measure by the new Government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said people who felt they needed help with their mental health should speak to a colleague \u2013 whether that be a supervisor or a Federation Rep.<\/p>\n
He said South Yorkshire Police Federation had seen a positive change in attitude towards mental health recently, with officers even referring colleagues they were concerned about.<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cWe also have to stop the stigma about it. If people need a bit of time off to go and reset mentally, so be it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, their health comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n