The suicide rate seems to be stabilizing in Quebec, according to the most recent data from the INSPQ, but certain groups remain worrying. This is the case for public security personnel, which includes police officers and paramedics.
As Suicide Prevention Week began on Sunday which runs until February 10, the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) published its data for the year 2021 which shows 1,031 deaths by suicide . This represents 12 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The INSPQ does not expect a drop for 2022 and estimates the suicide rate at 12.7 per 100,000 people, according to provisional data from the Coroner’s Office.
“Public safety personnel are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events such as when their own life or that of someone else is in danger. Exposure to potentially traumatic events can contribute to the development of mental health problems,” explained in an interview Laurent Corthéssy-Blondin, doctoral graduate in psychology and member of the Center for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical and Practical Issues end of life (CRISIS).
These mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and substance abuse, “are strongly associated with suicidal behavior,” said the psychology doctor.
According to the Coroner’s Office, between 2015 and 2021, there were an average of three police suicides per year. “If we make a rough estimate of the rate based on the number of police officers, the rate varied in those years between 6.3 and 37.8 per 100,000 police officers,” said Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin.
Citing a pan-Canadian study on suicide attempts among all public safety personnel, he noted that paramedics had the highest proportions of suicidal behavior compared to police officers, firefighters and dispatchers. “They are comparable to corrections officers,” he said.
This may be partly because the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder is higher for paramedics than in other public safety personnel groups.
In addition, access to a lethal means is a risk factor in the context of a suicidal crisis, mentioned Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin. If a police officer attempts suicide with a service weapon, the likelihood of death is higher, he said. “Many studies show that the service weapon is the means most used by police officers who have killed themselves. »
However, paramedics are increasingly trained and authorized to administer certain medications that are potentially lethal.
For police officers, there are protocols for removing firearms and Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin believes that one of the actions to be taken to prevent suicide would be to apply the same thing to paramedics.
On the other hand, public security personnel are predominantly made up of men. Certain values present in these environments are associated with “traditional masculinity which corresponds to wanting to demonstrate stoicism, autonomy, sometimes a little aggressiveness,” explained Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin.
People who adhere to traditional masculinity may be less likely to seek help and perceive less social support from those around them.
The SPVM stands out
For the period from 1997 to 2018, nine police deaths were recorded at the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM), representing an average rate of 8.8 deaths per 100,000 police officers. For the rest of Quebec, this rate was 23.2 per 100,000 police officers for the same period.
One of the factors explaining why the suicide rate for Montreal police officers is significantly lower than that of peace officers elsewhere in Quebec is a suicide prevention program implemented in the late 1990s at the SPVM.
This program had set up an awareness campaign, a crisis line managed by police officers, half-day training on suicide for all staff as well as more comprehensive training for people in police organizations which are more likely to interact with police officers who could be suicidal, detailed Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin.
“The evaluation of this program showed a reduction in suicide rates after its implementation and we did not observe the same reduction in the suicide rate among police officers elsewhere in Quebec,” declared Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin.
To prevent suicide, we must put in place different strategies that will meet the needs of all police officers who are going through more difficult times and who need immediate support, argued the researcher.
He proposes deploying an awareness campaign which would normalize the request for help in the context of psychological distress. Telephone follow-up can also be done to ensure the worker’s well-being and refer them to resources in the event their condition deteriorates.
“Another strategy that is promising is the offering of psychosocial services that are adapted to public security personnel,” indicated Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin.
He said public safety personnel often report specific job-related issues to their therapists. He adds that psychosocial workers are not always well trained to receive testimony about traumatic events.
Mr. Corthéssy-Blondin welcomed the new training program of the National Police Academy of Quebec entitled “Understanding police reality to provide better support”, which is intended for psychologists and psychotherapists who are members of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec.
He believes that this will make it possible to have more professionals aware of police reality.
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If you are thinking about suicide or worried about a loved one, counselors are available at any time at 1 866 APPELLE (1 866 277-3553), by text (535353) or by chat at suicide.ca.
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