InFocus

Every law enforcement officer knows that stress is part of the job. Long shifts, exposure to trauma, unpredictable hours, and the weight of public safety responsibilities create a high-pressure environment. What is less often acknowledged, however, is that unmanaged stress can quietly erode an officer’s health, relationships, and job performance over time.

The good news is that research shows that with the right supports—organizational change, wellness programs, resilience training, and family engagement—agencies can reduce stress and protect officer health. By focusing on stress prevention and mental health management, law enforcement leaders have an opportunity not just to respond to crises but to build sustainable cultures of wellness.

Operational vs. Organizational Stress: What Really Impacts Officers

Research consistently highlights two categories of stressors in policing: operational stressors (exposure to traumatic events, violence, and danger) and organizational stressors (policies, staffing, supervision, and internal culture).

While the dangers of the job are well known, it is often the organizational stressors that weigh most heavily on officers. A multi-agency study of organizational stress in policing has shown that internal factors such as poor communication, excessive workload, and lack of supervisor support can have as much or more impact on officer health as traumatic calls. Recognizing and addressing these internal factors is crucial for a holistic wellness strategy.

Another critical source of stress is fatigue. The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has linked night shifts, overtime, and irregular schedules to burnout, anxiety, and higher stress loads among police officers (CDC/NIOSH, 2021). NIJ-funded studies add that sleep disturbance and stigma around admitting fatigue are strongly associated with negative mental health outcomes in public safety populations (NIJ, 2019).

What the Research Tells Us Works

Agency-Offered Wellness Programs

A landmark national study (Thoen et al., 2019) examined the programs agencies are offering—and how often officers use them. The study found that while most departments provide some form of wellness or suicide prevention programming, officer utilization is low, largely due to stigma and lack of trust. Crucially, when officers do engage, they report that these programs improve their well-being and job functioning. This gap between availability and use underscores the need for culture change.

Resilience Training

RAND Corporation’s synthesis of first responder wellness initiatives identified resilience training as one of the most promising interventions. Programs that teach officers stress management skills, mindfulness techniques, and emotional survival strategies not only improve mental health outcomes but also enhance decision-making under pressure.

Peer and Family Support

Support doesn’t stop at the station door. Peer support programs, when formalized and paired with training, provide officers with trusted colleagues who can listen and connect them to professional help. Families, too, are an essential buffer against stress. Organizations like Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) provide resources, training, and national conferences to help families support officers and cope with the unique stressors of police work (C.O.P.S., 2025).

Leadership and Organizational Culture

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) convened the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide, which emphasized that leadership plays a central role in reducing stigma. Supervisors who openly discuss wellness and model help-seeking behaviors create a ripple effect that normalizes stress management for their officers (IACP, 2025).

Where Research Is Still Developing

While progress is being made, several gaps remain:

• Effectiveness of Programs: Many wellness initiatives—apps, peer support teams, mandatory counseling—are widely used, but few have been rigorously evaluated in terms of long-term outcomes.
• Cultural Barriers: Stigma remains a persistent barrier. Even when resources exist, many officers fear that seeking help will affect their careers.
• Longitudinal Impacts: We still lack strong longitudinal studies on how cumulative stress affects officers across a career, and which interventions sustain protective effects over time.

How NPI Supports Stress Prevention and Wellness

The National Policing Institute has made officer wellness and safety a priority in its research and technical assistance. Efforts include:

• Applied Research—NPI’s organizational stress and officer wellness study provides data-driven insight into the often overlooked internal factors that drive officer stress.
• Practice Spotlights – Through publications like InFocus, NPI has shared examples such as the Louisville Metro Police Department’s officer wellness program, which offers a replicable model for other agencies.
• Practical Tools – Guides such as Staying Healthy in the Fray equip officers and families with concrete strategies for managing stress before it escalates.
• Technical Assistance – NPI partners with agencies to evaluate existing wellness efforts and design interventions that are evidence-informed and context-specific.

Turning Research Into Action

Agencies don’t need to wait for every research gap to be filled. Practical, research-supported steps can be taken today:

1. Normalize Mental Health: Make regular wellness check-ins a standard part of the job, just like firearms qualification or physical fitness testing.
2. Provide Training at All Levels: Incorporate stress management and resilience into academy curricula, in-service training, and leadership development.
3. Invest in Supervisors: Train sergeants and managers to recognize stress indicators and respond supportively.
   
4. Leverage External Supports: Connect with national resources such as C.O.P.S., IACP, and 1st HELP to extend training and family support.
5. Evaluate and Improve: Use surveys, data collection, and partnerships with researchers to assess what’s working—and adjust accordingly.

Stress in policing is unavoidable, but unmanaged stress is not inevitable. By shifting the culture, investing in evidence-based wellness strategies, and treating mental health as integral to officer readiness, agencies can help their personnel not only survive but thrive. 

Building resilience today means healthier officers, safer communities, and stronger trust in the profession tomorrow.  

Need some help? NPI partners with law enforcement leaders all over the country to help build practical organizational solutions for healthier agencies. Let’s talk.

*Review research citations used in this issue here.