Exploring the Interplay of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Ethical Injury on Mental Health among Police Practitioners

Abstract

Introduction: Having helping nature and being as first responders to any kind of emergency situations is always appreciable. Social workers, medical professionals, police practitioners etc., are the first ones who are getting the label of first responders. When it comes to the Police practitioners, their duty is not only limited to the immediate assistance to the public. But their profession continuously involves handling of crime investigation and victim assistance. A common stereotypical belief of the public is that the police practitioners are always physically and mentally strong. On the other hand, the existing literatures proved that the police practitioners are going through different kind of physical ailment and mental trauma including professional stress, depression, secondary traumatic stress (STS), moral injury, etc. Aim: To identify the relationship between STS and Ethical Injury (EI) among police practitioners, and to understand the impact of STS and EI on Police Mental Health. Study Design: Exploratory research design. Area and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted during the period between August and September, 2024 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Methodology: A multistage sampling method was used to choose 45 police practitioners who were taking part of criminal investigation of murder/grievous hurt/aggravated form of sexual offenses/grave accidents/suicide etc., within the last one-month period of time. The pertinent data were collected through structured interview schedules including validated STS scale and Ethical Injury scale. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: 71% of the police practitioners suffered due to any form of emotional impact after investigating violent crimes. 33.33% police practitioners found with high level of STS. A moderate positive correlation (r=.392, ρ<.01) between Secondary Traumatic Stress and Ethical Injury was found. Conclusion: Higher the ethical injury makes the police practitioners more vulnerable towards secondary traumatic stress. The police have multiple roles for the benefit of society; hence their mental health status should be assessed periodically to assure their wellbeing and performance. The study urges the police department to address or alleviate the issue of STS among police officials for their improved performance.