Traumatic experiences, mental health, social support and demographics as correlates of alcohol dependence in a sample of Lithuanian police officers

ABSTRACT

Policing is a demanding occupation which can expose its employees to many adverse, such as alcohol misuse and dependence. The aim of the study was to analyze and determine factors associated with police officers’ alcohol dependence (AD). Five hundred and thirteen Lithuanian police officers and employees were surveyed. The variables measured were increased risk of AD (CAGE), traumatic event exposure (Life Events Checklist), increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Los Angeles Symptom Checklist), increased risk of anxiety and depression (HADS), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and demographic variables. Increased risk of AD was found in 4.4% of the sample. Logistic regression results demonstrated that high traumatization and more years of employment in law enforcement are associated with a higher risk of AD.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol dependence
• traumatic events
• police
• length of employment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.