‘Getting on with the job’: A systematised literature review of secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in policing within the United Kingdom (UK)
| Author | Alex Hassett,Jim Foley,Emma Williams |
| Date | 01 March 2022 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X21990412 |
| Published date | 01 March 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Special Issue Articles |
‘Getting on with the job’:
A systematised literature
review of secondary
trauma and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD)
in policing within the
United Kingdom (UK)
Jim Foley
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church
University, Canterbury, UK
Alex Hassett
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church
University, Canterbury, UK
Emma Williams
Canterbury Centre for Policing Research, Canterbury Christ Church
University, Canterbury, UK
Abstract
The aim of this review is to identify and critically examine existing research relating to
secondary trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within UK police officers.
A systematised literature review was conducted which identified 20 studies in police
officers from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These studies comprised
of terrorist incidents, mass disasters, general policing duties and officers working in rape
and child abuse investigations. Key themes emerged regarding understanding the impact
of trauma, the influence of police culture and understanding coping mechanisms. It also
found a number of methodological limitations within the studies which are likely to have
Corresponding author:
Jim Foley, Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK.
Email: j.foley450@canterbury.ac.uk
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
ªThe Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/0032258X21990412
journals.sagepub.com/home/pjx
Special Issue: Are we OK? The State of Wellbeing in Policing
2022, Vol. 95(1) 224 –252
Foley et al. 225
impacted on the results. This review highlighted that trauma in UK policing is still not
understood and there is a stigma associated with officers seeking help. Recognising the
impact of trauma on police officers and how trauma has affected them is crucial to ensure
an effective and compassionate workforce which delivers a better service to the public. It
is hoped that this review will address gaps in existing knowledge within the literature,
consider implications for practice, as well as recommendations to be taken forward in
this crucial area of research.
Keywords
UK police, secondary trauma, PTSD
Introduction
The concept of secondary trauma has been widely studied over the last 30 years and
can be considered as exposure to trauma through the first-hand account or narrative of
a traumatic event by another (Cieslak et al., 2014; Figley, 1995), and has been
described as an occupational hazard of working in a caring profession (McCann and
Pearlman, 1990; Nimmo and Huggard, 2013). In extreme cases this subsequent cog-
nitive or emotional representation of an event may result in symptoms and reactions
that parallel PTSD, such as re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal (Cieslak
et al., 2014; Figley, 1995). The impact of secondary trauma has been studied within
a number of professions such as social/child protection workers (Bride, 2007; Conrad
and Kellar-Guenther, 2006), therapists and counsellors (Baird and Jenkins, 2003; Craig
and Sprang, 2010; Kadambi and Truscott, 2007; Pearlman and Mac Ian, 1995; Sodeke-
Gregson et al., 2013) and medical professionals (Duffy et al., 2015; Kellogg et al.,
2018; Regehr et al., 2003), yet few studies relate to policing, or particularly policing
within the United Kingdom (UK). There are a number of key concepts that relate to
secondary trauma which are frequently used interchangeably (Bober and Regehr, 2006;
Newell and MacNeil, 2010; Nimmo and Huggard, 2013; Sabin-Farrell and Turpin,
2003) such as Burn-out (Freudenberger, 1974, 1975; Maslach 1976), Vicarious
Trauma (McCann and Pearlman, 1990), Compassion Fatigue (Joinson, 1992) and
Secondary Traumatic Stress (Figley, 1995).
Research on secondary trauma in policing has predominately related to studies on
those officers that investigate ‘non-contact’ offences, such as those investigating internet
or digital offences against children (Bourke and Craun, 2014; Burns et al., 2008; Burruss
et al., 2018; Krause, 2009; Perez et al., 2010; Powell et al., 2014). The study of police
officers who investigate ‘contact’ offences such as those who engage with traumatised
victims on a daily basis (especi ally victims of sexual or child ab use) has yet to be
properly explored and understood. The impact of this type of work on those who inves-
tigate these crimes, often referred to as ‘secondary investigators’ is an important piece of
work to undertake as these are considered some of the most stressful and challenging
cases to investigate (Bober and Regher, 2006; Carlier et al., 2000; Dane, 2000; Roach
et al., 2017, 2018; Skogstad et al., 2013) as well as ‘high risk’ roles within UK policing
(College of Policing, 2018; Graham et al., 2020; Hesketh and Tehrani, 2019).
2The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles XX(X)
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