(Ottawa) The union representing front-line RCMP members is urging the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to go beyond “piecemeal solutions” to protect officers’ mental health amid fears they face increasing risks to their well-being.
In a new report, the National Police Federation calls on the RCMP to fully implement its employee wellbeing strategy, introduce regular psychological health checks and streamline access to mental health supports.
The report released Tuesday morning indicates that RCMP members face a myriad of stressors, risks and emotionally taxing situations on a daily basis that invariably take a toll on their psychological well-being.
This highlights the fact that the very nature of their profession exposes them to violence, trauma, high pressure situations and a constant requirement for vigilance.
The report says this situation is compounded by daily sources of stress such as negative public comments, fatigue, understaffing, lack of resources and red tape.
Additionally, RCMP officers face stigma related to psychological health issues and a lack of comprehensive and accessible mental health services and supports, the report adds.
Over time, these factors have been shown to accumulate and lead to a range of mental health problems – post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and an increased risk of suicidal behavior, according to The report.
“It is essential that the government urgently invest in mental health orientation, training and treatment programs for police officers, particularly within the RCMP,” it is written.
The report includes the results of a survey conducted by the federation and the University of Regina among a representative sample of RCMP members from June 2022 to February 2023.
It found members were six times more likely than the general population to screen positive for a mental health disorder. Such numbers are considered indicators and not true diagnoses requiring clinical interviews with supporting information.
Members were also significantly more likely than the general population to have considered or planned suicide in the past year.
Promising initiatives
The report states that the RCMP’s employee well-being strategy for 2021 to 2024 highlights “several promising initiatives.”
However, the national police must do more by providing “a step-by-step approach” to deal with the current reality its members face, the report adds.
“This plan must be transparent and the RCMP should regularly update its progress. »
As the recent wellbeing strategy draws to a close, the federal auditor general should carry out and publish an audit of the strategy, the report says.
The report recognizes that the RCMP has made significant progress in providing and supporting programs to support and treat restorative mental health, as well as offering a variety of workplace injury and supplemental benefits for mental health.
However, the various mental health supports and programs for members can be difficult to navigate, leaving members overwhelmed and unsupported, according to the report.
“What is evident is that bureaucratic processes, stigma and distrust of the RCMP as a health care provider have resulted in an ineffective mental health support system and limited access . »