Exploring Mental Health Stigma Among U.S. Law Enforcement Officers: Occupational Norms, Disclosure, and Personal Experiences

Abstract Law enforcement officers routinely encounter operational stress, yet their decisions about mental health care may depend on what they believe disclosure will cost them professionally. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined perceived occupational norms and personal stigma experiences among 31 current and former U.S. law enforcement officers recruited through social media and direct email outreach. Participants completed the 11-item Police Officer Stigma Scale (POSS) and the 28-item Stigma Scale developed by King and colleagues. The POSS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .87). Fear-of-disclosure items ( M = 3.82, SD = 0.79) were endorsed more strongly than perceived-maltreatment items ( M = 3.23, SD = 1.05). Eighty-one percent of participants believed most officers would not disclose a mental illness to a supervisor, 71% anticipated impaired promotion prospects, and 58% believed officers would avoid professional help. The Stigma Scale total averaged 46.71 ( SD = 11.43; alpha = .72), with disclosure concerns ( M = 2.06, SD = 0.75) exceeding reported discrimination ( M = 1.15, SD = 0.64). The correlation between total scores was small but imprecisely estimated ( r = .09, p = .615), precluding firm conclusions about their relationship. Findings suggest that services may remain underused when officers question confidentiality or anticipate professional consequences for seeking care. Subgroup patterns are exploratory and require replication.