A Brief Discussion of Effective Ways to Teach Potentially Life-Saving Psychology

Abstract

Police officers are exposed to a plethora of potentially life-threatening incidents over the course of their careers. These events cause specific psychological harm to police officers. Even though police departments aim to provide their police personnel with advanced technological equipment and effective operational training, questions remain about the degree to which police officers are adequately trained to survive the often debilitating psychological challenges of police work. In this paper, some relevant psychological research findings will be presented to demonstrate the ways in which police officers can be better prepared for the mental and emotional adversities of their jobs. The authors provide an action plan for psychological scientific and clinical knowledge to be incorporated into police training curricula in the academy, during continuing professional education, and through on-duty field training. The argument is advanced that law enforcement executives and administrators should directly focus on officers’ mental preparedness and psychological survival.