WELLBEING


POLICING FACING A MENTAL


HEALTH CRISIS?


Police Federation of England and Wales’ Wellbeing Lead shares his views on the concerning rise and the need for mandatory policy and legislative change to make a real difference


“Behind each mental health condition, you’ve got an individual who’s going through incredible trauma, which has a significant impact not just on them, but on their family, marriage and career. It can be devastating,” PFEW Wellbeing Lead Paul Williams stated as number of UK police officers signed off work due to stress, depression, anxiety or


to 47 forces by Police Oracle found the number of officers signed off for mental health issues went up 22 per cent the


“What we’re seeing is a legacy of poor mental health. It is manifesting itself into serious illness because it’s not addressed early.”


post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has reached a staggering 17,752 officers. A Freedom of Information request


14 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2025


financial year 2024-2025. This is the fourth year in a row the number has gone up, and it is a huge 182 per cent


higher than when it first ran the survey 12 years ago – in 2012-13, 6,294 officers were signed off for poor mental health. Every day, police officers give so much to protect the public, often sacrificing their own wellbeing - in fact, police officers have the highest mental health- related sickness rates of any profession in the UK. Paul said: “The figures have risen massively, as have ill health


retirement figures, due to mental health- related illnesses. It is a demonstration that mental trauma manifests itself over a


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