Andrews Katie L, Jamshidi Laleh, Shields Robyn E, Teckchandani Taylor A, Afifi Tracie O, Fletcher Amber J, Sauer-Zavala Shannon, Brunet Alain, Krätzig Gregory P, Carleton R Nicholas
Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Front Psychol. 2023 May 2;14:1123361. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361. eCollection 2023.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP.
Participants were RCMP cadets ( = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions.
RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge ( = 0.233) and stigma ( = 0.127), and higher service use intentions ( = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all s < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions.
The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.
由于工作中固有地接触潜在的心理创伤事件和职业压力源，加拿大皇家骑警（RCMP）警员患心理健康障碍的风险较高。RCMP警员也表示存在高度的污名化现象，且寻求心理健康服务的意愿较低。相比之下，对于刚开始参加学员培训计划（CTP）的RCMP学员的心理健康知识水平和污名化程度了解甚少。本研究旨在：（1）获取RCMP学员心理健康知识、对工作场所同伴的污名化以及服务使用意愿的基线水平；（2）确定RCMP学员心理健康知识、对工作场所同伴的污名化以及服务使用意愿之间的关系；（3）研究不同社会人口学特征之间的差异；（4）将学员与之前接受调查的在职RCMP样本进行比较。
参与者为刚开始参加为期26周CTP的RCMP学员（n = 772）。学员完成了评估心理健康知识、对有心理健康挑战的同事的污名化以及心理健康服务使用意愿的问卷调查。
与在职RCMP相比，RCMP学员报告的心理健康知识水平（M = 0.233）和污名化程度（M = 0.127）在统计学上显著较低，而服务使用意愿（M = 0.148）在统计学上显著较高（所有p值均<0.001）。与男性学员相比，女性学员在心理健康知识和服务使用方面的得分在统计学上显著更高，而在污名化方面的得分更低。心理健康知识与服务使用意愿在统计学上显著正相关。对于总样本，污名化与心理健康知识和服务使用意愿在统计学上显著负相关。
当前结果表明，较高的心理健康知识水平与较低的污名化程度以及较高的使用专业心理健康服务的意愿相关。学员与在职RCMP之间的差异凸显了从CTP开始就需要定期进行持续培训，以减少污名化并增加心理健康知识。男性和女性学员之间的差异表明寻求帮助行为存在不同障碍。当前结果为在学员整个职业生涯中监测其心理健康知识、服务使用意愿和污名化程度提供了基线。
