Research has shown that stress from the job causes higher rates of heart disease, divorce, alcoholism and other psychological illnesses. Learn more about how first responders are impacted by and coping with the sometimes emotionally taxing nature of their jobs.

Know the Facts

• Nearly 1 in 4 police officers has thoughts of suicide at some point in their life.
• The suicide rate for police officers is four times higher than the rate for firefighters.
• In the smallest departments, the suicide rate for officers increases to almost four times the national average.
• More police die by suicide than in the line of duty. In 2017 there were an estimated 140 law enforcement suicides.
• Compared to the general population, law enforcement report much higher rates of depression, PTSD, burnout and other anxiety related mental health conditions.

Source: NAMI.org