Post-traumatic stress symptoms in an elite unit of Brazilian police officers: Prevalence and impact on psychosocial functioning and on physical and mental health

Background nt exposure to traumatic situations put police officers under an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The goals of this study were to determine the current prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in Brazilian police officers and to compare groups with and without PTSS in terms of associated morbidity. s officers from an elite unit (n = 157) were asked to fill out a socio-demographic questionnaire, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version. The latterʹs scores were used to establish the diagnoses of “full PTSD” and of “partial PTSD”. s ence rates of “full PTSD” and “partial PTSD” were 8.9% and 16%, respectively. Compared with the “no PTSD” group, police officers with “full PTSD” were five times more likely to be divorced (21.6% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.008), felt that their physical health was poorer (64.3% vs. 6%, p < 0.001), had more medical consultations during the last 12 months [2.00 (± 1.62) vs. 1.09 (± 1.42), p = 0.03] and reported more often lifetime suicidal ideation (35.7% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.002). tions mple was relatively small. A screening tool was employed instead of a semi-structured interview. The cross-sectional design is unsuitable for ascertaining cause-effect relations. sions revalence in our sample was comparable to those reported for North American and Dutch policemen. The presence of “full PTSD” was associated with evidences of considerable morbidity. These findings may contribute to the development of effective policies aimed at the prevention and treatment of PTSD in law enforcement agents.