Posttraumatic stress disorder in Canadian police officers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether there are specific risk and protective factors that contribute to, or prevent Canadian police officers from developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This research aimed to answer: what risk and protective factors influence the development of PTSD in Canadian officers? This research is a critical appraisal. The inclusion criteria includes English full-text, scholarly articles, with a publication time frame of 2011-2021 to ensure recent research is included. The research includes literature on Canadian police officers, with a specific focus on the factors that contribute to the likelihood to develop PTSD. Exclusion criteria are any articles that are not available in English, published before the set time frame, and/or based on studies conducted in another country. The research found that psychological/cognitive variables play a significant role in the development of PTSD, particularly identifying emotional regulation, and resilience as keys variables in preventing PTSD. Significant differences between RCMP and municipal officers were also found, with RCMP officers showing higher rates of PTSD and PTSD symptomology.