Textbook of Mental Health Nursing, Vol - II

Police work increases the risk of psychological work-related injuries substantially: As a result of repeated exposure to trauma, police and first responders have more than twice the risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when compared to the general population. We often hear of the impact of PTSD and depression on police officers’ health and overall functioning, including on their work performance. Both PTSD and depression are part of Operational Stress Injuries (OSI), which describe any persistent psychological difficulty that results from operational or service-related duties. Next to depression and PTSD, OSI includes anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, injury and pain, sleep disturbances and other conditions that may interfere with daily functioning. Importantly, factors frequently observed in police officers, such as burnout, moral injury, and compassion fatigue present additional mental health issues, further contribute to the maintenance and exacerbation of their psychological symptomatology, thereby prolonging recovery and contributing to the chronicity of disability, suffering and pain.

This Research Topic is the second volume of the "Community Series In Mental-Health-Related Stigma and Discrimination: Prevention, Role, and Management Strategies". Please see the first volume here. Despite the tremendous progress and successes achieved in diagnostics, therapy, and rehabilitation in psychiatry over the past few decades, the stigma towards mental health patients, their relatives and caregivers, and healthcare professionals is still present. Social stigma, in particular, represents a major obstacle to maintaining adequate mental health care. This increases reluctance to seek help delays patients' diagnosis and limits their compliance and adherence to treatment. In the long term, this reduces psychiatric rehabilitation effectiveness and causes a burden to healthcare providers and society alike. The main goal of this Research Topic is to evaluate the impact and role of stigma, in all its forms, on individuals with psychiatric disorders, their caregivers, and mental health providers.