Frontline trauma: Alarming PTSD rates in WA police revealed

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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain More than one-third of Western Australia's police officers report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research led by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and published in the journal Australian Psychologist has found.

The Blue Poppy Study, a collaboration between ECU, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia (UWA), surveyed 1,278 serving police officers, representing almost 20% of the WA Police workforce.

The study found 38.3% were experiencing PTSD symptoms, compared with 5.6% of the general Australian population.

Researchers found these outcomes were associated with frequent exposure to traumatic events .

The study also identified widespread mental health challenges beyond PTSD.