PFEW research into the effects of trauma exposure on police officers, including that of incidents specific to the Covid-19 pandemic, featured at the annual conference for the British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology (DFP).
Mary Elliott-Davies, one of PFEW’s leading Research practitioners, presented the findings at the DFP conference. The event, held online, featured leading psychologists and expert speakers, hosting webinars on the themes of trauma and compassion.
The data, drawn from PFEW’s 2020 Demand, Capacity and Welfare survey, collected responses from over 12,000 members on various aspects of policing.
Co-written with Dr Jess Miller, Director of Research at Police Care UK, the presentation demonstrated the tough conditions officers have been working in, and promoted the joint work of PFEW, Police Care UK and Cambridge University in developing the first-ever UK specific Police Traumatic Events Checklist.
In order to assess the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the survey included several questions specifically relating to distressing and potentially traumatic incidents members may have experienced as a result.
The findings included:
- 39% had seen the body of a person who had died from natural causes (including confirmed or suspected Covid-19 infection)
- 17% had performed death notifications in the instance a person had died from natural causes (including confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection)
- 17% had been exposed to bodily fluids suspected of carrying the COVID-19 infection
A full report on all the COVID-specific questions contained within the 2020 DCW Survey can be found on the PFEW website.
Mary Elliott-Davies said: “Speaking at the BPS DFP conference was a fantastic opportunity to share our findings and promote the views and experiences of our members amongst the psychological community.
”The Federation’s Research Team plays a vitally important part in providing strategic, clear evidence to help achieve the best pay and conditions for members.
If you have any queries about the Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey, please email: researchanddatacollection@polfed.org
