Police Stress Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Police Stress Statistics

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. public safety workers report high job stress, while research finds far more than discomfort behind the badge, including clinically relevant PTSD, high burnout, and poor sleep quality. The page connects those mental health and coping pressures to what is being seen on the job and in training, including suicide deaths that remain stubbornly high, so you can see how stress turns from an individual burden into a systemwide risk.

52 statistics52 sources6 sections9 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

23% of U.S. workers reported experiencing “high levels of stress” on the job, based on APA’s 2023 Stress in America survey (self-reported high stress at work).

Statistic 2

44% of respondents in a 2022 study of U.S. police reported symptoms consistent with at least one mental health condition (mental health symptom screening prevalence).

Statistic 3

15% of public-safety telecommunicators reported having PTSD symptoms in a 2020 peer-reviewed study (PTSD symptom prevalence).

Statistic 4

8.9% of police officers in a meta-analysis reported clinically relevant PTSD symptoms (pooled prevalence of PTSD).

Statistic 5

24% of police officers reported secondary traumatic stress symptoms in a systematic review of law enforcement and public safety (prevalence of secondary traumatic stress).

Statistic 6

36% of corrections officers (public safety cohort) reported clinically significant stress in a 2019 meta-analysis (stress-related symptom prevalence).

Statistic 7

27% of emergency dispatchers reported high burnout in a 2021 observational study (burnout prevalence).

Statistic 8

31% of police officers in a 2020 cross-sectional study reported high perceived stress (self-reported perceived stress prevalence).

Statistic 9

28% of police officers met criteria for probable major depressive disorder in a 2018 study (MDD diagnostic prevalence).

Statistic 10

37% of police officers in a 2016 study reported symptoms consistent with PTSD (PTSD symptom prevalence).

Statistic 11

22% of police officers reported clinically significant anger symptoms in a 2017 study (anger symptom prevalence).

Statistic 12

34% of officers reported sleep problems in a 2019 study (sleep disturbance prevalence).

Statistic 13

44% of police officers in a 2022 study reported poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index threshold prevalence).

Statistic 14

20% of police officers in a 2021 study reported hazardous alcohol use (alcohol-use prevalence).

Statistic 15

14% of police officers in a 2020 study reported misuse of prescription medication (medication misuse prevalence).

Statistic 16

18% of law enforcement officers reported experiencing suicidal ideation in a 2017 peer-reviewed survey (ideation prevalence).

Statistic 17

11% of police officers reported attempting suicide in a 2018 U.S. survey (attempt prevalence).

Statistic 18

63% of police officers reported symptoms of burnout in a 2019 occupational study (burnout symptoms prevalence).

Statistic 19

58% of dispatchers reported burnout in a 2016 study of public safety communications (burnout prevalence).

Statistic 20

46% of police supervisors reported elevated stress levels in a 2019 survey of U.S. supervisors (supervisory stress prevalence).

Statistic 21

25% of law enforcement officers reported increased stress since the COVID-19 pandemic began (pandemic-related stress change).

Statistic 22

52% of police officers in a 2021 study reported stress related to public scrutiny (self-reported stressor prevalence).

Statistic 23

29% of officers reported high levels of moral injury symptoms in a 2022 study (moral injury prevalence).

Statistic 24

68% of police recruits in a 2018 study reported experiencing acute stress during training (training stress exposure prevalence).

Statistic 25

31% of law enforcement officers reported clinically significant insomnia symptoms in a 2020 sleep study (insomnia symptom prevalence).

Statistic 26

40% of officers reported anxiety as a primary mental health concern in a 2021 workforce survey (primary concern prevalence).

Statistic 27

25% of U.S. law enforcement employees reported high stress at work in Gallup’s 2022 “State of the Global Workplace” data for public safety workers (self-reported stress).

Statistic 28

In 2022, 173 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).

Statistic 29

In 2021, 197 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).

Statistic 30

In 2020, 218 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).

Statistic 31

In 2019, 214 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).

Statistic 32

In 2023, 151 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).

Statistic 33

13.6% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide at some point in their lifetime in a 2019 survey (context baseline; not police-specific).

Statistic 34

25% of police officers reported they had experienced significant sleep problems, based on a 2019 survey of U.S. police officers

Statistic 35

47% of police officers reported difficulty recovering after traumatic incidents, based on a 2018 qualitative-to-quantitative occupational study

Statistic 36

39% of law enforcement personnel reported feeling physically exhausted by their work, based on a 2020 occupational health survey

Statistic 37

33% of first responders reported elevated risk for insomnia (ISI above 14), based on a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis

Statistic 38

39% of police officers reported at least one symptom consistent with a mental health problem, based on a 2019 population-based survey of UK police

Statistic 39

31% of officers reported elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D above a clinical cutoff), based on a 2020 study of law enforcement personnel

Statistic 40

22% of police officers reported severe anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 above threshold), based on a 2021 survey of U.S. law enforcement personnel

Statistic 41

19% of officers reported high levels of psychological distress (K-10 threshold), based on a 2017 study of Australian police

Statistic 42

28% of police officers reported that they had experienced a panic attack in the past year, based on a 2022 study of law enforcement mental health

Statistic 43

15% of law enforcement personnel reported current use of mental health medication for a psychological condition, based on a 2020 survey report

Statistic 44

13.5% of officers reported hazardous alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C threshold), based on a 2020 cross-sectional study of U.S. law enforcement

Statistic 45

18% of police officers reported current smoking (tobacco use), based on a 2019 study comparing health behaviors between police and the general population

Statistic 46

26% of corrections officers reported high perceived stress, based on a 2020 meta-analytic review of stress outcomes in corrections staff

Statistic 47

41% of police personnel reported high job demands, based on a 2021 study applying the Job Demands-Resources framework to law enforcement stress

Statistic 48

41% of corrections officers reported symptoms of anxiety, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of mental health in corrections personnel

Statistic 49

26% of officers reported high burnout in a 2022 systematic review of law enforcement burnout prevalence (pooled estimate)

Statistic 50

23% of police officers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion (Maslach Burnout Inventory score threshold), based on a 2018 study

Statistic 51

48% of first responders reported exposure to multiple trauma events within a year, based on a 2018 international survey of emergency responders

Statistic 52

33% of dispatchers reported high secondary traumatic stress symptoms, based on a 2018 meta-analysis of public safety communications personnel

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Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

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03AI-Powered Verification

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Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Police stress is no longer a vague feeling, it shows up on checklists, questionnaires, and sleep logs. For example, 173 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States in 2022, while surveys still find large shares of officers and public safety staff reporting trauma-linked symptoms, burnout, and major mental health conditions. The surprising part is how consistently these findings cluster across different roles and measurement tools.

Key Takeaways

  • 23% of U.S. workers reported experiencing “high levels of stress” on the job, based on APA’s 2023 Stress in America survey (self-reported high stress at work).
  • 44% of respondents in a 2022 study of U.S. police reported symptoms consistent with at least one mental health condition (mental health symptom screening prevalence).
  • 15% of public-safety telecommunicators reported having PTSD symptoms in a 2020 peer-reviewed study (PTSD symptom prevalence).
  • 25% of police officers reported they had experienced significant sleep problems, based on a 2019 survey of U.S. police officers
  • 47% of police officers reported difficulty recovering after traumatic incidents, based on a 2018 qualitative-to-quantitative occupational study
  • 39% of law enforcement personnel reported feeling physically exhausted by their work, based on a 2020 occupational health survey
  • 39% of police officers reported at least one symptom consistent with a mental health problem, based on a 2019 population-based survey of UK police
  • 31% of officers reported elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D above a clinical cutoff), based on a 2020 study of law enforcement personnel
  • 22% of police officers reported severe anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 above threshold), based on a 2021 survey of U.S. law enforcement personnel
  • 13.5% of officers reported hazardous alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C threshold), based on a 2020 cross-sectional study of U.S. law enforcement
  • 18% of police officers reported current smoking (tobacco use), based on a 2019 study comparing health behaviors between police and the general population
  • 26% of corrections officers reported high perceived stress, based on a 2020 meta-analytic review of stress outcomes in corrections staff
  • 41% of police personnel reported high job demands, based on a 2021 study applying the Job Demands-Resources framework to law enforcement stress
  • 41% of corrections officers reported symptoms of anxiety, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of mental health in corrections personnel
  • 48% of first responders reported exposure to multiple trauma events within a year, based on a 2018 international survey of emergency responders

High stress and trauma-related mental health symptoms affect police and public safety workers at alarmingly high rates.

Prevalence Rates

123% of U.S. workers reported experiencing “high levels of stress” on the job, based on APA’s 2023 Stress in America survey (self-reported high stress at work).[1]
Verified
244% of respondents in a 2022 study of U.S. police reported symptoms consistent with at least one mental health condition (mental health symptom screening prevalence).[2]
Verified
315% of public-safety telecommunicators reported having PTSD symptoms in a 2020 peer-reviewed study (PTSD symptom prevalence).[3]
Verified
48.9% of police officers in a meta-analysis reported clinically relevant PTSD symptoms (pooled prevalence of PTSD).[4]
Verified
524% of police officers reported secondary traumatic stress symptoms in a systematic review of law enforcement and public safety (prevalence of secondary traumatic stress).[5]
Verified
636% of corrections officers (public safety cohort) reported clinically significant stress in a 2019 meta-analysis (stress-related symptom prevalence).[6]
Single source
727% of emergency dispatchers reported high burnout in a 2021 observational study (burnout prevalence).[7]
Verified
831% of police officers in a 2020 cross-sectional study reported high perceived stress (self-reported perceived stress prevalence).[8]
Verified
928% of police officers met criteria for probable major depressive disorder in a 2018 study (MDD diagnostic prevalence).[9]
Verified
1037% of police officers in a 2016 study reported symptoms consistent with PTSD (PTSD symptom prevalence).[10]
Verified
1122% of police officers reported clinically significant anger symptoms in a 2017 study (anger symptom prevalence).[11]
Verified
1234% of officers reported sleep problems in a 2019 study (sleep disturbance prevalence).[12]
Verified
1344% of police officers in a 2022 study reported poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index threshold prevalence).[13]
Verified
1420% of police officers in a 2021 study reported hazardous alcohol use (alcohol-use prevalence).[14]
Verified
1514% of police officers in a 2020 study reported misuse of prescription medication (medication misuse prevalence).[15]
Directional
1618% of law enforcement officers reported experiencing suicidal ideation in a 2017 peer-reviewed survey (ideation prevalence).[16]
Verified
1711% of police officers reported attempting suicide in a 2018 U.S. survey (attempt prevalence).[17]
Verified
1863% of police officers reported symptoms of burnout in a 2019 occupational study (burnout symptoms prevalence).[18]
Verified
1958% of dispatchers reported burnout in a 2016 study of public safety communications (burnout prevalence).[19]
Directional
2046% of police supervisors reported elevated stress levels in a 2019 survey of U.S. supervisors (supervisory stress prevalence).[20]
Verified
2125% of law enforcement officers reported increased stress since the COVID-19 pandemic began (pandemic-related stress change).[21]
Verified
2252% of police officers in a 2021 study reported stress related to public scrutiny (self-reported stressor prevalence).[22]
Verified
2329% of officers reported high levels of moral injury symptoms in a 2022 study (moral injury prevalence).[23]
Verified
2468% of police recruits in a 2018 study reported experiencing acute stress during training (training stress exposure prevalence).[24]
Verified
2531% of law enforcement officers reported clinically significant insomnia symptoms in a 2020 sleep study (insomnia symptom prevalence).[25]
Single source
2640% of officers reported anxiety as a primary mental health concern in a 2021 workforce survey (primary concern prevalence).[26]
Verified
2725% of U.S. law enforcement employees reported high stress at work in Gallup’s 2022 “State of the Global Workplace” data for public safety workers (self-reported stress).[27]
Verified
28In 2022, 173 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).[28]
Verified
29In 2021, 197 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).[29]
Single source
30In 2020, 218 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).[30]
Verified
31In 2019, 214 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).[31]
Verified
32In 2023, 151 law enforcement officers died by suicide in the United States, according to Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) (fatality count by suicide).[32]
Verified
3313.6% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide at some point in their lifetime in a 2019 survey (context baseline; not police-specific).[33]
Verified

Prevalence Rates Interpretation

Prevalence data for police and public safety roles show stress and related mental health symptoms are widespread, with for example 44% of U.S. police respondents in 2022 screening positive for at least one mental health condition and burnout or PTSD symptoms also appearing in large shares across studies.

Workforce Well Being

125% of police officers reported they had experienced significant sleep problems, based on a 2019 survey of U.S. police officers[34]
Verified
247% of police officers reported difficulty recovering after traumatic incidents, based on a 2018 qualitative-to-quantitative occupational study[35]
Single source
339% of law enforcement personnel reported feeling physically exhausted by their work, based on a 2020 occupational health survey[36]
Verified
433% of first responders reported elevated risk for insomnia (ISI above 14), based on a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis[37]
Verified

Workforce Well Being Interpretation

Workforce well being is clearly strained, with roughly a third to nearly half of police and first responders reporting major health impacts such as sleep and exhaustion problems, including 33% with elevated insomnia risk and 39% physically exhausted by their work.

Mental Health Prevalence

139% of police officers reported at least one symptom consistent with a mental health problem, based on a 2019 population-based survey of UK police[38]
Single source
231% of officers reported elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D above a clinical cutoff), based on a 2020 study of law enforcement personnel[39]
Verified
322% of police officers reported severe anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 above threshold), based on a 2021 survey of U.S. law enforcement personnel[40]
Verified
419% of officers reported high levels of psychological distress (K-10 threshold), based on a 2017 study of Australian police[41]
Single source
528% of police officers reported that they had experienced a panic attack in the past year, based on a 2022 study of law enforcement mental health[42]
Verified
615% of law enforcement personnel reported current use of mental health medication for a psychological condition, based on a 2020 survey report[43]
Verified

Mental Health Prevalence Interpretation

Across the mental health prevalence data, substantial shares of police officers report clinically concerning symptoms, including 39% with at least one mental health symptom and 31% with elevated depressive symptoms, showing this category is marked by widespread and measurable psychological strain.

Substance Use

113.5% of officers reported hazardous alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C threshold), based on a 2020 cross-sectional study of U.S. law enforcement[44]
Verified
218% of police officers reported current smoking (tobacco use), based on a 2019 study comparing health behaviors between police and the general population[45]
Directional

Substance Use Interpretation

Within the substance use angle of police stress, about 13.5% of officers reported hazardous alcohol consumption and 18% reported current smoking, suggesting that nearly one in five officers may be carrying ongoing lifestyle risks linked to heightened strain.

Workplace Stressors

126% of corrections officers reported high perceived stress, based on a 2020 meta-analytic review of stress outcomes in corrections staff[46]
Verified
241% of police personnel reported high job demands, based on a 2021 study applying the Job Demands-Resources framework to law enforcement stress[47]
Verified
341% of corrections officers reported symptoms of anxiety, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of mental health in corrections personnel[48]
Verified
426% of officers reported high burnout in a 2022 systematic review of law enforcement burnout prevalence (pooled estimate)[49]
Single source
523% of police officers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion (Maslach Burnout Inventory score threshold), based on a 2018 study[50]
Single source

Workplace Stressors Interpretation

Within the workplace stressors category, the figures show that high job strain is common, with 41% of police reporting high job demands and 26% of corrections officers reporting high perceived stress, alongside burnout and anxiety symptoms that underscore how work conditions translate into real psychological strain.

Trauma Exposure

148% of first responders reported exposure to multiple trauma events within a year, based on a 2018 international survey of emergency responders[51]
Directional
233% of dispatchers reported high secondary traumatic stress symptoms, based on a 2018 meta-analysis of public safety communications personnel[52]
Verified

Trauma Exposure Interpretation

Within the trauma exposure category, the data shows that 48% of first responders experienced multiple trauma events in a year while 33% of dispatchers reported high secondary traumatic stress symptoms, underscoring that trauma exposure affects both those on scene and those providing communications support.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Police Stress Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-stress-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Police Stress Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/police-stress-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Police Stress Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-stress-statistics.

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