Date

9-17-2026

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Marc Weiss

Keywords

leadership, mental health, resilience, police, stigma, wellness

Disciplines

Leadership Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

This applied quantitative study examined whether participation in structured mental health check-ins was associated with self-stigma toward seeking psychological help and reported symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression among law enforcement officers. Using a cross-sectional, nonexperimental comparative design, anonymous survey data were collected from 130 active sworn officers across 10 small and mid-sized Iowa law enforcement agencies. The agencies included those with and without mandatory check-in policies; primary comparisons were based on officers’ reported participation in at least one check-in. Measures included the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, independent-samples t-tests, analysis of variance, multiple linear regression, and chi-square tests were used. Officers who participated in check-ins reported significantly lower self-stigma, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression scores than nonparticipants, with the strongest group difference observed for stigma. Participation remained a significant predictor after controlling for rank and years of experience. Frequency analyses showed significant differences for stigma, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, but not depression, without a uniform dose-response pattern. Categorical screening classifications did not differ significantly by participation status. Because participation was not randomly assigned and data were collected at one point in time, the findings demonstrate associations rather than causation. The results support structured check-ins as a promising leadership strategy for normalizing mental health engagement. Future longitudinal and multi-state research should examine change over time and compare program design, confidentiality, and provider characteristics.

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