The benefits of eye movement Desensitization dreprocessing in a law enforcement population

The job duties of a police officer can vary and often include responsibilities that the general population will never experience. Given the unique and potentially traumatic nature of these responsibilities, police officers report high levels of chronic stress, job burnout, and a lack of social support from those both within and outside their profession. Consequently, this can place law enforcement professionals at an increased risk for experiencing numerous adverse mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research supports law enforcement populations are at an elevated risk for developing PTSD given the high rate of exposure to critical incidents reported, with rates ranging from 46% to 92% on a yearly basis (Wagner SL, White N, Fyfe T, Matthews LR, Randall C, Regehr C, White M, Alden LE, Buys N, Carey MG, Corneil W, Fraess-Phillips A, Krutop E, Fleischmann MH, Am J Ind Med 63:600–615, 2020). The law enforcement culture reinforces the use of avoidant coping strategies to mitigate the results of consistent exposure to potentially traumatic events, or “critical incidents,” such as substance use or social isolation (Arble E, Daugherty AM, Arnetz BB, Stress and Health 34:612–621, 2018); (Becker CB, Meyer G, Price JS, Graham MM, Arsena A, Armstrong DA, Ramon E, Behav Res Ther 47:245–253, 2009). While traditional stress management and other preventative techniques may be offered through in-service trainings within a police department, there is added benefit in offering evidence-based treatments for trauma, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Book Section

English

Robert J. Cipriano Jr.
Samantha Rodriguez
Katherine Kuhlman

Cipriano, R. J., Rodriguez, S., Kuhlman, K. (2023, October). The benefits of eye movement desensitization reprocessing in a law enforcement population. In M. L. Bourke, V. B. Van Hasselt, & S. J. Buser (Eds.), First Responder Mental Health (pp. 227–243). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company