Maintaining police wellbeing and resilience. Where to next?

• In Event: Improving the wellbeing and resilience of police personnel

Abstract

Much of the extant research literature pertaining to police wellbeing has, and continues to, focus on identifying potential ‘negative impact factors’ (e.g. stress and trauma) that certain roles and tasks in policing can have on the wellbeing of those who do them (e.g. investigating child homicide or viewing images of child sexual exploitation). Although the importance of this focus is not disputed here, this presentation looks ahead and suggests what and where the research focus would be most fruitful expanding to next. The need to develop research to inform the development and testing of new approaches to support for police is explored, for example by looking at promising developments in this area in the UK, as well as how behavioural science might be used to better encourage those in need of support to acknowledge need, seek, and take-up appropriate support when available.

Authors

• Jason Roach, University of Huddersfield

• Liam Scott Curran, Crime and Policing Research Centre, University of Huddersfield