The leading cause of police death: post-traumatic stress disorder

October 20, 2015

Some departments are spearheading new initiatives to help officers — before they need it

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The leading cause of police death: post-traumatic stress disorder

Some 216,000 officers suffer from PTSD or some other form of emotional stress. In some cases, it can also turn deadly. More than 1,400 officers have taken their own lives in the past decade, with PTSD as a leading contributing factor. But there’s a growing movement among some law enforcement organizations, psychologists and police departments to better address PTSD and make changes to protect the health and wellness of officers. America Tonight’s Adam May went to Mesa, Arizona, to talk to Nate Schlitz, an officer who retired early because of PTSD, and what he and his former department are doing to save others from the same fate.


 

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