Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Objective: As exposure of police officers to traumatic incidents has increased in recent years, the aim was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated distress in the West Australian (WA) Police Force. Method: Participants were 1,278 sworn officers from the Western Australia (WA) Police Force, recruited via advertisements placed in the WA Police Union newsletter. This sample represented approximately 18.5% of the WA Police workforce. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), administered through an online survey platform. This study employed a cross-sectional correlational design. Factors related to PTSD were assessed using a regression analysis. Participants were mostly male (74%), married, over 45 years of age and had 19 years of service. Results: The prevalence of PTSD in survey participants was 38.3%. Exposure to multiple trauma events was found to be common. Severity of PTSD was predicted by being divorced or widowed and increased exposure to specific trauma experiences: “seeing abused children” and “seeing someone die in front of you”. Higher levels of PTSD were also associated with low levels of colleague and supervisor support. Scores on other measures of mental health were somewhat less severe with general distress and wellbeing at moderate levels. Nevertheless, distress levels were high in a quarter of the sample. Conclusions: The high prevalence of PTSD in the current survey may be due to sampling factors and/or stakeholder engagement. The survey has important implications for meeting the mental health needs of police officers.
Keywords
police officers, PTSD, Western Australia police
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
00050067
Volume
61
Issue
4
Publication Title
Australian Psychologist
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
390
Last Page
401
Recommended Citation
Talbot, D., Drummond, P., & Lee, C. (2026). Blue Poppy study: Frequency of PTSD in the West Australian Police Force. Australian Psychologist, 61(4), 390–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2026.2693491