What is the police PTSD rate (how many officers suffer from PTSD)?
A. This is a grey area. It can vary from department to department, by some estimates going as high as 25 percent for areas engaged in riots or disasters. Interestingly, researchers have found that exposure to traumatic events is not a requirment for PTSD. Lieberman, Best and Metzler (2002) found routine occupational stress exposure carried significant risk for psychological distress and were surprised to find it a strong predictor for PTSD. Further, a study by Robinson, Sigman and Wilson (1997) of suburban officers found strong correlations between duty related stress, somatization, and symptoms of PTSD. 13 percent of the officers studied actually met the criteria for PTSD.
