More officers taking time off for mental health illness

NORTHUMBRIA Police Federation is dealing with an increased number of officers taking time off through work-related mental health issues and stress, it has been revealed.

In the year ending in April, 231 officers were off sick with stress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. That was an increase from 206 the year before and 153 the year before that.

And Jim Gray, Federation Chairman, warns that the problem is linked to the job.

He said: “My own experience is that I’m dealing with more and more people who are experiencing stress in the workplace, and mental health illnesses which relate or are created from that. That is a very real situation that we have here in Northumbria.

“We have austerity and the pressure that cuts have put on individual officers in terms of demand. If Northumbria Police has 900 fewer police officers now then there is undoubtedly going to be more demand on those remaining to do the job. That will, in turn, have a real impact on individuals and their levels of mental health. So of course levels of stress are going up.”

Mr Gray said that in the absence of extra funding from Government, the service must have a conversation with the public about which jobs it starts giving up.

He added: “We need to have a very open and frank discussion with the public about exactly what we want our police officers to do and be, because we still continually want them to be everything to everybody, all the time. They are the first port of call in any crisis situation – but that is not sustainable.

“There is good work going on here in Northumbria with other bodies – social services and the like – stepping in to help, and we encourage them. Because otherwise we are asking police officers to give it their all, chasing their tails and the cost to them is their mental health. And that cannot be right.”