The differences in overall attitudes toward seeking psychological services, psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma between law enforcement officers with current or past psychological service use and officers without psychological service use.

摘要

The present study investigated the differences in overall attitudes toward seeking psychological services, psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma between law enforcement officers with current or past psychological service use and officers without psychological service use. The sample (N = 65) consisted of male and female legal consenting adults employed as law enforcement officers and residents of Illinois. A significant gap in the literature exists surrounding the problem under investigation. Literature concerning stress in law enforcement, psychological services in law enforcement, law enforcement culture, and psychological service use and attitudes toward seeking psychological services were examined. The present study's hypotheses were significant differences exist in overall attitudes toward seeking psychological services, psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma between officers with current or past psychological service use and officers without psychological service use. Independent t-tests were conducted and the study's findings did not support the hypotheses. Even though the study's findings were insignificant, they have implications for law enforcement officers and mental health professionals.