Strain and Suicidal Ideation among Law Enforcement Officers: A Regression Study

Law enforcement is a stressful occupation and law enforcement officers are not immune to suicide and suicidal ideation. Almost every year, law enforcement officers commit suicide more frequently than they are feloniously killed in the line of duty. The relationship between strain and suicidal ideation in this population is not well understood. This quantitative non-experimental regression study examined the relationship between strain and suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. General strain theory was used as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Agency size and access to a department chaplain were controlled for in this quantitative, non-experimental regression study. Participants for this study were full-time, active-duty, sworn, municipal, law enforcement officers who are members of the Facebook group LEO Only. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain participants from small and large municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States. A total of 112 participants provided the data that was used for this study. Thirty-seven of the participants were employed by small rural municipal agencies and the remainder were employed by large municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States. An electronic survey was completed by law enforcement officers who prior consented to participate in the study. The survey was completed through Qualtrics, a web-based survey software program. Binary regression analysis was conducted to determine to what extent, if any, strain influences suicidal ideation controlling for agency size and access to a department chaplain. Agency size and access to a department chaplain were controlled for to examine the relationship between strain and suicidal ideation without the influence of these variables. Strain was not found to have a significant relationship with suicidal ideation, p = .07. Strain also did not have a significant relationship with suicidal ideation when controlling for agency size and access to a department chaplain. The results of this study can be used to enhance policy development and access to resources that will decrease suicide and suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers.