Hiding in Plain Sight: Stigmatization of Emotional Stress Among Law Enforcement Officers at the Department of Public Safety and Training in Salem, Oregon

This proposed study will examine the ways in which junior police officers perceive the stigma of emotional stress, and in turn how the stigma is perceived by more seasoned officers. Is the stigma all that stands in the way of officers accessing professional services to help them develop ways to cope with the stress accumulated in their official capacities? What, exactly, is at the root of the perceived stigma regarding professional counseling or the need to seek assistance? Drawing on personal observation and interviews with officers at the Oregon Department of Public Safety and Training, this study will explore the stigma related to seeking help, for the purpose of understanding the perceptions of Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) regarding emotional stress from the standpoints of new officers as they begin their training and continue in their careers