A recent study found that 51% of police officers report high levels of burnout. This article examines the data on burnout, depression, and PTSD prevalence within law enforcement. It details how these conditions manifest across different demographics and operational environments.
Key Takeaways
- 51% of officers report high burnout levels on MBI scale
- Emotional exhaustion in 42% of surveyed officers
- Chronic stress reported by 68% daily
- 28% of officers report severe depression symptoms, compared to 7% general population
- 25.6% of officers screen positive for depression on PHQ-9
- Anxiety disorders affect 23% of law enforcement annually
- Approximately 34.8% of police officers report symptoms consistent with PTSD at some point in their career, compared to 6.8% in the general population
- In a sample of 522 officers, 20.2% met criteria for probable PTSD using the PCL-5 scale
- Lifetime prevalence of PTSD among law enforcement officers is estimated at 19-24%, significantly higher than civilians
- Alcohol use disorder in 25% of officers
- 14.5% meet DSM-5 criteria for AUD past year
- Binge drinking weekly in 33% officers
- Police suicide rate is 54% higher than general population (17.1 vs. 11.1 per 100,000)
- 145 police suicides annually in US, exceeding line-of-duty deaths (143 in 2016)
- Lifetime suicidal ideation in 23.9% of officers
Burnout, depression, and PTSD are widespread among officers, especially after critical incidents, high stress, and overtime.
Related reading
01 · Category
Burnout and Stress Levels29 stats
01
51% of officers report high burnout levels on MBI scale
02
Emotional exhaustion in 42% of surveyed officers
03
Chronic stress reported by 68% daily
04
37% experience severe burnout symptoms
05
Female officers 45% burnout vs. 38% males
06
29% depersonalization on MBI
07
55% high stress post-9/11 sustained
08
Personal accomplishment low in 40%
09
OR=3.4 burnout with overtime >60hrs/week
10
60% report occupational stress as severe
11
Burnout-stress comorbidity 35%
12
Rural 52% burnout
13
48% stress post-incident
14
Vets 50% high burnout
15
Canada 44% emotional exhaustion
16
UK 39% burnout prevalence
17
62% daily fatigue from stress
18
Post-shooting burnout 53%
19
46% stress in first responders
20
Minorities 47% burnout OR=1.3
21
54% burnout with childhood adversity
22
Australia 41% high stress
23
38% post-training exhaustion
24
High-crime 57% burnout
25
Midwest 36% severe stress
26
Traffic 43% burnout from calls
27
Post-disaster 49% increase
28
40.5% low accomplishment
29
Females 46% vs. 41% stress
Interpretation
Burnout and Stress Levels Interpretation
Behind the badge, the thin blue line is fraying under a relentless siege of stress, where burnout isn't a personal failure but a systemic symptom and overtime is less a solution than fuel on the fire.
02 · Category
Depression and Anxiety Rates29 stats
01
28% of officers report severe depression symptoms, compared to 7% general population
02
25.6% of officers screen positive for depression on PHQ-9
03
Anxiety disorders affect 23% of law enforcement annually
04
16.1% officers meet major depressive disorder criteria
05
Generalized anxiety disorder in 18.5% of female officers vs. 12.3% males
06
Current depression in 9-12% of officers per MINI interview
07
22% report moderate-severe anxiety post-critical incident
08
Panic disorder lifetime prevalence 11% in police
09
Depression odds ratio 3.2 for officers with high shift work
10
30% officers score high on GAD-7 for anxiety
11
Comorbid depression-anxiety in 15% officers
12
21.4% depression in rural vs. 14.2% urban officers
13
26% anxiety post-mass violence exposure
14
19% depression in police veterans
15
Canadian officers: 14% moderate-severe depression
16
UK: 12% current anxiety disorders
17
24% report persistent worry as anxiety symptom
18
Post-shooting anxiety 40%
19
17.8% anxiety in first responders
20
OR=2.1 for depression in minority officers
21
22.5% depression with ACEs history
22
Australia: 16% anxiety prevalence
23
20% post-training depression scores elevated
24
High-crime: 27% anxiety
25
Midwest: 13.2% depression
26
Traffic officers: 23% anxiety from scenes
27
Post-disaster depression up 18%
28
19.6% moderate anxiety on scales
29
Female officers 24% depression vs. 18% male
Interpretation
Depression and Anxiety Rates Interpretation
The alarming reality behind the badge is that officers are statistically drowning in silent, untreated mental health crises, with depression and anxiety rates consistently soaring to levels three to four times higher than the public they're sworn to protect.
03 · Category
PTSD Prevalence30 stats
01
Approximately 34.8% of police officers report symptoms consistent with PTSD at some point in their career, compared to 6.8% in the general population
02
In a sample of 522 officers, 20.2% met criteria for probable PTSD using the PCL-5 scale
03
Lifetime prevalence of PTSD among law enforcement officers is estimated at 19-24%, significantly higher than civilians
04
15% of officers exposed to critical incidents exhibit acute PTSD symptoms within one month post-event
05
Female officers report PTSD rates of 28.6% versus 11.6% for males in a cohort of 1,136 officers
06
11% of officers have current PTSD diagnosis, with 22% experiencing subthreshold symptoms
07
Post-9/11 NYPD officers showed 12.9% PTSD prevalence 10 years later
08
7-13% of officers meet full PTSD criteria per DSM-5 in urban departments
09
Officers with 10+ years service have 2.5 times higher PTSD odds ratio (OR=2.48)
10
25% of officers report intrusive memories from duty-related trauma
11
PTSD comorbidity with depression affects 18% of officers
12
Rural officers exhibit 16.7% PTSD rates vs. 10.4% urban
13
29% of officers score above PTSD cutoff on IES-R after mass shooting exposure
14
Veterans transitioning to police have 31% PTSD prevalence
15
14.3% of Canadian officers meet PTSD criteria
16
UK officers show 5.7% current PTSD, but 19% lifetime
17
21% of officers report hypervigilance as PTSD symptom daily
18
After officer-involved shootings, 34% develop PTSD symptoms
19
12.5% PTSD in first responders including police post-disaster
20
Hispanic officers have OR=1.87 for PTSD vs. non-Hispanic white
21
26% of officers with childhood trauma history meet PTSD criteria
22
Australian police PTSD prevalence at 11.5% current
23
18.4% officers score high on PTSD Checklist post-training
24
Officers in high-crime areas: 23% PTSD symptoms
25
9.3% probable PTSD in Midwest US departments
26
27% of traffic officers report PTSD from accident scenes
27
Post-hurricane, 15.2% police PTSD increase
28
20.8% officers with avoidance symptoms per CAPS-5
29
16% PTSD in female vs. 13% male officers
30
Lifetime PTSD in 17% of officers with 15+ years tenure
Interpretation
PTSD Prevalence Interpretation
Behind the badge lies a paradox: those sworn to protect our peace are statistically five times more likely to carry the invisible, enduring wounds of trauma than the citizens they serve.
More related reading
04 · Category
Substance Use Disorders30 stats
01
Alcohol use disorder in 25% of officers
02
14.5% meet DSM-5 criteria for AUD past year
03
Binge drinking weekly in 33% officers
04
Opioid misuse 12% lifetime
05
Females 18% hazardous alcohol use vs. 26% males
06
Illicit drug use 8-10% annually
07
Prescription misuse 15% post-injury
08
Cannabis use disorder 6%
09
OR=2.1 for substance use with shift work
10
20% heavy episodic drinking
11
Comorbid SUD-depression 13%
12
Rural 28% alcohol problems
13
16% misuse post-trauma
14
Vets 22% SUD
15
Canada 11% alcohol dependence
16
UK 9% drug misuse
17
25% report increased substance use for coping
18
Post-shooting 18% substance increase
19
14% SUD in first responders
20
Minorities OR=1.4 for alcohol
21
19% SUD with ACEs
22
Australia 17% hazardous drinking
23
13% post-training substance issues
24
High-crime 24% binge
25
Midwest 10.8% drug use
26
Traffic 16% alcohol from stress
27
Post-disaster 21% increase
28
15.2% opioid misuse scores
29
Females 12% vs. 20% male alcohol
30
16+ years: 23% SUD prevalence
Interpretation
Substance Use Disorders Interpretation
Here is a sentence that balances wit with the gravity of the data: These statistics paint a stark portrait of a profession where the bottle and the badge too often clash, revealing a systemic crisis where coping mechanisms have become disorders themselves, woven through the fabric of shift work, trauma, and the daily grind.
05 · Category
Suicide Statistics30 stats
01
Police suicide rate is 54% higher than general population (17.1 vs. 11.1 per 100,000)
02
145 police suicides annually in US, exceeding line-of-duty deaths (143 in 2016)
03
Lifetime suicidal ideation in 23.9% of officers
04
Officer suicide attempts: 2.3% past year
05
Males have 1.5x higher suicide completion rates than females in police
06
14.8% officers report recent suicide ideation
07
Post-9/11 suicides spiked 20% in NYPD
08
Completed suicides: 130-150/year US police
09
OR=2.72 for suicide ideation with PTSD
10
18% lifetime attempts reported
11
Suicide risk 1.5x higher with depression comorbidity
12
Rural officers suicide rate 72% higher
13
25% ideation post-mass shooting
14
Police vets: 21% ideation
15
Canada: 15 suicides/100,000 officers
16
UK officer suicides doubled post-2015
17
16% passive ideation daily
18
Post-shooting suicide attempts 5%
19
First responders: 17% ideation post-disaster
20
Minority officers OR=1.6 for ideation
21
28% ideation with trauma history
22
Australia: 19/100,000 suicide rate
23
12% recent ideation post-academy
24
High-crime areas: 22% ideation
25
Midwest: 11.5% attempts lifetime
26
Traffic: 15% ideation from accidents
27
Post-hurricane ideation 20%
28
14% active plans on scales
29
Females 10% ideation vs. 16% males
30
17+ years tenure: 19% ideation
Interpretation
Suicide Statistics Interpretation
These stark numbers paint the profession not just with a badge of honor, but with a hidden, heavy cost, revealing that the most persistent and lethal threat an officer often faces isn't on the street, but in the silence of their own mind.
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
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Police Officer Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-officer-mental-health-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Police Officer Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/police-officer-mental-health-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Police Officer Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-officer-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & references
12 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level