Nearly a third of U.S. officers, 33%, report at least one adverse mental health outcome from their job. At the same time, only 1 in 5 agencies use validated screening tools for officer mental health. With 64% reporting at least one traumatic event and 13.5% meeting criteria consistent with probable PTSD, the data show how exposure is common while identification is uneven.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 3 (33%) officers reported having at least one adverse mental health outcome from their job (U.S. survey, 2019)
- In a law enforcement wellness assessment, 60% of agencies reported formal training on trauma or critical incident stress (survey)
- 9% of agencies reported they had no mental health resources at all (survey)
- 64.0% of law enforcement officers reported at least one traumatic event (systematic review meta-analytic estimate)
- 13.5% of law enforcement personnel met criteria consistent with probable PTSD in a meta-analysis (reported across studies)
- 2.5x higher odds of depression among first responders compared with other workers (meta-analysis)
- Only 1 in 5 agencies reported using validated screening tools for officer mental health (survey cited in DOJ/NIJ briefing)
- 2018 marked the year 25 states had enacted some form of first responder mental health legislation (NASEM referenced figure, compiled in policy brief)
- 25 states: number of states with first responder mental health legislation noted in a policy analysis (contextual policy count)
- $3.3 million: Mindful policing grant awards for mental health and wellness initiatives (BJA funding summary example)
- $0 cost of 988 to users (crisis hotline policy)
- 1.8 million: number of 988 contacts in the first 6 months after launch (operational milestone)
- 52% of U.S. consumers are willing to use telehealth services for mental health care (survey estimate, 2020–2021 range)
About one in three officers report adverse mental health, with high trauma exposure and limited validated screening.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends & Benchmarks9 stats
01
1 in 3 (33%) officers reported having at least one adverse mental health outcome from their job (U.S. survey, 2019)
02
In a law enforcement wellness assessment, 60% of agencies reported formal training on trauma or critical incident stress (survey)
03
9% of agencies reported they had no mental health resources at all (survey)
04
Law enforcement personnel suicide rate was higher than general population in U.S. studies; pooled estimate ratio about 1.7x (review/meta-analysis)
05
A 2021 systematic review found 21 distinct intervention approaches for police mental health, but few strong trials
06
In a 2022 meta-analysis, posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with a standardized mean difference of g≈0.60 in first responders exposed to trauma (meta-analytic effect)
07
The CDC reported that 20% of U.S. adults experienced symptoms of anxiety/depression during 2020 (contextual mental health baseline)
08
A 2020 survey of officers found 44% reported feeling burned out (burnout indicator)
09
A 2021 report estimated police stress impacts families; 67% of officers reported stress affecting home life (survey)
Interpretation
Industry Trends & Benchmarks Interpretation
Across industry benchmarks for police mental health, 33% of officers report at least one adverse outcome from the job while only 60% of agencies provide formal trauma or critical incident training and 9% have no mental health resources at all, signaling that support remains uneven and urgently needed.
02 · Category
Prevalence & Risk3 stats
01
64.0% of law enforcement officers reported at least one traumatic event (systematic review meta-analytic estimate)
02
13.5% of law enforcement personnel met criteria consistent with probable PTSD in a meta-analysis (reported across studies)
03
2.5x higher odds of depression among first responders compared with other workers (meta-analysis)
Interpretation
Prevalence & Risk Interpretation
Under the Prevalence and Risk framing, the data show that traumatic exposure is widespread with 64.0% of law enforcement reporting at least one traumatic event and the mental health risk is substantial with probable PTSD found in 13.5% and depression being 2.5 times more likely for first responders than other workers.
03 · Category
Program Effectiveness & Gaps1 stats
01
Only 1 in 5 agencies reported using validated screening tools for officer mental health (survey cited in DOJ/NIJ briefing)
Interpretation
Program Effectiveness & Gaps Interpretation
For Program Effectiveness and Gaps, the fact that only 1 in 5 agencies reported using validated screening tools for officer mental health suggests a major shortfall in evidence-based practices that could limit how well these programs identify needs early.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy, Law & Budgets7 stats
01
2018 marked the year 25 states had enacted some form of first responder mental health legislation (NASEM referenced figure, compiled in policy brief)
02
25 states: number of states with first responder mental health legislation noted in a policy analysis (contextual policy count)
03
$3.3 million: Mindful policing grant awards for mental health and wellness initiatives (BJA funding summary example)
04
$5.0 million: scale of DOJ grant program for crisis intervention and mental health support (SAMHSA/DOJ referenced program totals)
05
US Executive Order 13985 (2021) includes a mental health and wellness focus across workforce and public health policy areas (policy reference)
06
$1.5 billion U.S. costs annually for workplace mental health-related productivity losses (global mental health economic estimate referenced by credible sources)
07
$1.1 billion: estimated cost to employers from depression and anxiety disorders (OECD/WHO economic estimates)
Interpretation
Policy, Law & Budgets Interpretation
In the Policy, Law & Budgets space, momentum is visible in 2018 when 25 states had already enacted first responder mental health legislation, and federal funding and policy support followed with millions in grants such as $3.3 million and $5.0 million, alongside Executive Order 13985, even as workplace mental health productivity losses are still estimated at $1.5 billion annually.
05 · Category
Technology & Data3 stats
01
$0cost of 988 to users (crisis hotline policy)
02
1.8 million: number of 988 contacts in the first 6 months after launch (operational milestone)
03
52% of U.S. consumers are willing to use telehealth services for mental health care (survey estimate, 2020–2021 range)
Interpretation
Technology & Data Interpretation
In the Technology & Data lens on police mental health, the near-zero $0 cost to users alongside 1.8 million 988 contacts within the first six months shows that accessible, data-driven crisis hotlines can quickly scale adoption.
report visual · Comparison
Police Mental Health: Prevalence and Support Gaps
A large share of officers report adverse mental health outcomes and probable PTSD, while a comparatively small share of agencies provide key supports like validated screening and any mental health resources.
1 in 3 (33%) officers reported having at least one adverse mental health outcome from their job (U.S. survey, 2019)33%
13.5% of law enforcement personnel met criteria consistent with probable PTSD in a meta-analysis (reported across studie
13.5%
9% of agencies reported they had no mental health resources at all (survey)
9%
Only 1 in 5 agencies reported using validated screening tools for officer mental health (survey cited in DOJ/NIJ briefin
1
source-verifiedncbi.nlm.nih.gov · sciencedirect.com · nij.ojp.gov · rand.org2019
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Police Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-mental-health-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Police Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/police-mental-health-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Police Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)