Despite the prevalence of concussions, proper treatment and management protocols for officers remain inadequate.
The study surveyed nearly 400 law enforcement officers in central Ohio and discovered that almost 75% reported sustaining at least one head injury, with more than half having lost consciousness from an on-duty injury. Alarmingly, fewer than 1 in 4 of these injuries were diagnosed or treated by a medical professional.
Dr. Jaclyn Caccese, the study's lead author and an assistant professor at Ohio State University's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, stated:
“This is an area where we have to improve awareness, just like we did in the sport concussion world.”
Officers with head injuries were found to be 40% more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms and experience higher levels of PTSD. Among those surveyed, 9% screened positive for PTSD symptoms, while 36% reported mild or greater depressive symptoms.
Dr. Caccese emphasized the need for improved awareness and protocols to enhance officer safety and health.
"The goal is really to improve officer safety and health in the long term."
The study's authors recommend that law enforcement agencies adopt a graduated return-to-duty (RTD) protocol, similar to those used in sports and the military, to ensure better management and recovery from concussions.
Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Walters, a study coauthor, stressed the importance of implementing these findings:
“Now we have some data that we can present to administrations, to unions, to leadership that says, ‘Here’s the problem. This is how we can fix it. Let’s start working that process.’”
Check out the full story about the study here!