The Police Stress and Health Program

The Prospective Study of Stress and Health in Police Officers

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE) are conducting a study to learn about the experiences, work-related difficulties and stress encountered by new police officers over time.

The study is being conducted with San Francisco Bay Area and New York City Police Departments, and will follow police academy trainees through their first three years of police service. The study aims to help police officers function more effectively and enjoyably on the job.

Police officer trainees who qualify to participate will receive a reimbursement of up to approximately $525-$550 for the initial phase of the study, followed by reimbursements ranging from $75 to $450 for each follow-up assessment over a three-year period.

What does the study involve?

Police officer trainees who qualify to participate will be scheduled for two 3-hour appointments to complete the initial phase of the study. The initial phase includes an interview with a mental health professional, a take-home saliva collection kit to measure the body's stress hormone levels, self-report questionnaires that can be completed online or via pencil and paper at home, and a psychophysiology test, which measures the trainee's startle response to loud noises and physical response to watching a video of police-related critical incidents. Additionally, trainees will also wear a wrist-watch sized actigraph to measure sleep-wake cycles and take home a PDA (Palm device) to complete questions about sleep.

The study is ongoing for three years from the time of graduation from the academy. Every six months after completing academy training, participants will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires. At the one-, two- and three-year time points, participants will be invited back for follow-up assessments. Please view the attached timeline for more specific details. Participants are free to refuse or withdraw from participation of any portion of the study at any time.

Confidentiality

In recognition of the sensitive nature of police work and the importance of privacy in the police community, the Police Stress and Health Program has gone to great lengths to protect the confidentiality of its study participants.

The Police Stress and Health Program has developed relationships with police academies and departments in San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. The administration of each police department encourages the participation of its trainees, and recognizes the importance of confidentiality.

Whether or not you agree to participate will not be known by anyone in your training academy or department. No one with whom you work, including primary or secondary supervisors, will know if you do or do not participate in the study. Furthermore, the Police Stress and Health Program has obtained a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality, which insures that neither a participant's identity nor data can be subpoenaed in civil or criminal court.

All participants will be assigned an ID number which will be the sole means of identification on all study materials. Individual names are never used to identify participants in study presentations, reports, or publications. Participants must provide their social security number for the sole purpose of reimbursement.

How do I sign up ?

The Police Stress and Health Program operates sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. If you or a police trainee you know is interested in participating, please contact us via phone or email and tell us:

Your first and last name

How we can contact you (phone and/or email address), and

Your police academy affiliation.

Call toll-free:
San Francisco Bay Area (800.994.9006) | New York (866.860.COPS)

Email:
pshp@ucsf.edu

A staff member will be in touch with you to explain enrollment and answer any questions you might have.