| Abstract |
Police work is challenging and entails officers’ exposure to multiple critical incidents. Police officers are supposed to adapt to different critical circumstances so that they resolve critical events effectively. That is, officers may have to use lethal force in order to prevent a violent offender from harming innocent people. On the other hand, officers are the ones who support victims of crimes since they often respond first in the crime scene. That being said, officers may often shift roles between that of a “crime-street fighter†to that of a “social service worker†and vice versa. Further, at the end of their shift, officers return to their homes and they are expected to transition from the role of a law enforcement officer to the role of a caring family member. The aim of this paper is the make mental health care providers cognizant of the aforementioned unique nature of police of work. That way, mental health care providers are better able to understand challenges of police work and apply techniques that would allow officers to manage effective role transitions. Future research on this topic is also recommended as a way to help mental health care providers apply evidence-based interventions for police officers’ health and resilience promotion.
KEY WORDS: Police work, stress, police role shifting, mental health care providers, police wellbeing
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