Date

10-16-2024

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Sharon Mullane

Keywords

Ethnically Balanced Male Perspective, Police Officers Mental Health, Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Mental Health Counseling Stigma, Law Enforcement Mental Health, Police Stress Disorders, Trauma and Law Enforcement, Police Reluctance for Counseling, Cultural Identity and Police Officers, Mental Health Stigma in High-Risk Occupations, Mental Health Literacy in Policing, Help-Seeking Behaviors in Police, Police Mental Health Counseling Barriers, Law Enforcement Mental Health Interventions

Disciplines

Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

This phenomenological study will aim to understand an ethnically balanced male perspective toward police officers seeking mental health counseling. Police Officers are routinely exposed to stressful and traumatic events, leading to acute and chronic disorders, mental illnesses, suicide ideation, and suicide, as research has indicated. Mental health counseling can play an essential role in intervention into mental health illness, providing critical tools to police officers to handle stress and potential mental illness. However, reluctance among the police community to seek mental health counseling continues to be prevalent. Possible cause for this reluctance are suggested through research as a direct result of mental health stigma. Research into the phenomena of stigma continues to be an increasing area of study. However, limited research is available on stigma's impact on police officers seeking mental health counseling. Research questions applied include a central question that explores the perspective of males towards police officers seeking mental health counseling, followed by three sub-questions. The police profession is predominately perceived as a masculine profession. For this reason, this study recruited 11 ethnically balanced male participants that have met specific study criteria. The theories guiding this study include radical constructivism and cultural identity theory. The applied theories provide a theoretical foundation for the research and its relation to mental health illness, stigma, and help-seeking behaviors. Data collection and analysis instruments applied to the study include semi-structured hermeneutic interviews and theoretical memos, followed by a thematic data analysis strategy.

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