1
Mental Health Disclosures and Disability Claims: An Analysis of Federal Initiatives and
Challenges Facing RCMP Officers

By
Nicholas Van Horne

Honours Thesis
Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Degree Requirements for the
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice (Honours)

Supervisor Professor Doug King
In the
Department of Criminal Justice
Mount Royal University

2025

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Copyright Page
Copyright & Licensing
This work is completed in its entirety by Nicholas Van Horne. This work is licensed under an
Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license.
Institutional Repository Statement
This thesis is deposited in the Mount Royal University Institutional Repository for long-term
access and preservation. It is made available under the terms of the author’s chosen license and is
subject to institutional repository policies.

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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the amazing professors who have mentored me over the last five
years, especially Professor Doug King. He has helped guide me through my university
experience from day one, as well as his impactful role throughout the completion of this thesis. I
would also like to thank my family and friends for their support throughout my degree at Mount
Royal University.

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Abstract
Using a secondary data collection method, along with a descriptive research design, this project
sheds light on the mental illnesses that RCMP officers experience, as well as the growing
stigmatization. The RCMP Study (2024) is an ongoing study that has separated officers into two
groups, one as status quo and the other receiving extra support, weekly check-ins and tasked with
constantly reviewing their own mental health. This study is the start of a new future for the
RCMP and how they view mental illnesses, including the disclosure and discussion of mental
disorders. Comparing Canada and the RCMP to police forces in Australia and the United
Kingdom, highlighted the fact that the RCMP is struggling to keep up, or rather, refusing to
update their protocols and policies to conform with modern times. The RCMP is in need of
change, and with the current barriers officers are faced with when disclosing mental health
information, it is necessary for additional support and resources to limit the stress officers
experience. Along with limiting stress, additional support may potentially reduce the stigma
surrounding mental illnesses and educate more officers that there is help where they need it.

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Introduction
Mental health has become an increasingly prominent issue within law enforcement,
particularly the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Nowadays, police officers face high
levels of occupational stress, trauma, and rigorous working conditions, all of which contribute to
mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
Although there has been a growing interest in these challenges and increased awareness, RCMP
officers still face many barriers within their job, specifically when disclosing mental health
struggles and obtaining adequate access to benefits.
By investigating federal initiatives that have been put in place, as well as any grievances
or denial of long-term disability claims to police officers, specifically RCMP, I will shed light on
how it affects officers who disclose mental illnesses, which is a topic of great importance. In
2023, the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) released a statement saying there should be a
sweeping change for the current model of RCMP training, as well as changes to the overarching
structure of the organization (Heber, 2023). Despite all the efforts put in place, like the Mental
Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), the Public Safety Canada’s Action Plan on PostTraumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI) and other federal occupational health programs, many officers
in the RCMP still fear the stigma around discussing mental health disorders and potential
backlash and grievances caused by disclosing personal information.
The purpose of this study is to figure out why RCMP officers feel pressured when
disclosing mental health information regardless of the initiatives currently in place. Although
there have been other studies related to mental health among first responders, there has been an
increase in suicide rates, as well as rising mental health disorders among officers. Whether this is
due to a lack of support by the organization or the stigmatization surrounding an officer

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disclosing mental health disorders, this thesis will help discover if the legislation in place is
helping or hindering an officer's ability to come forward with mental illnesses and the potential
need for further research or studies.
Literature Review
In 2019, two officers took their own lives in Canada. One was a constable, and the other
was a detective stationed in Ontario. When a memorial was held for these officers, as well as all
the others who had fallen in the line of duty, there was no mention of the two officers who took
their lives (Forsyth, 2023). This subtle detail highlights the stigmatization surrounding mental
health among officers, being that no one bothered to speak about why they took their lives, let
alone the fact they did. In 2024, an RCMP study conducted by an external source noted that
“15.9% of RCMP officers had planned to commit suicide in their lifetime, and 4.6% planned to
do it last year” (Wilson, 2024). Frequent exposure to traumatic events and inadequate mental
health support have caused RCMP officers to be far more likely to exhibit suicidal behaviours.
Despite all the initiatives and resources in place, why is mental health support still “inadequate”
for RCMP officers, and why are suicide rates increasing when they should be on the decline?
That is the main reason for conducting this research.
In August 2022, a study was conducted by the RCMP as a protocol initiative to help
reduce posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI) and improve access to evidence-based assessments,
treatments and training (The Public Health Agency of Canada, 2022). This study had 960
participants monitored through training and annually for 5 years post-graduation. Four hundred
and eighty (480) participants were involved in the new regiment involving increased support and
treatment while the other 480 proceeded as per usual in the RCMP (Carleton et al., 2022). The

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study is ongoing; however, the expected outcome is that participants in the RCMP study with
support will experience lower levels of PTSI and overall exhibit better mental health.
Throughout this paper, I will also draw literature from Australia and the United Kingdom
(UK) to compare with Canada due to the relevance of data and all countries being
commonwealth (similar legislation). Per year, Canada has a suicide rate between 0 and 80 among
49 municipal police forces, the UK has a suicide rate of 21 officers, and although Australia does
not have much data per annum, a study showed that a total of 123 officers have committed
suicide since the year 2000 which is around 5.13 officers per year. The reason for Canada having
the highest suicide rate is unknown, which is why I will be comparing legislation, officer support
and many other variables among the three countries.
Methodology
This thesis fits into the descriptive research design category. Essentially, the purpose of a
descriptive research design is to observe and describe characteristics or phenomena without
manipulating variables (Aggarwal & Ranganathan, 2019). Since this thesis examines the
legislation in place, how it affects RCMP officers and the issues surrounding long-term disability
claims, this research design is well-suited for this study.
The descriptive research portion of this thesis will utilize a comprehensive literature
review, and the method that fits best for this study is a critical review. The critical literature
review provides awareness of the current state of knowledge in each area and synthesizes
resources showing the strengths and skills of the topic (Jesson & Lacey, 2006). As this research
question looks at legislation and how it affects RCMP officers disclosing mental health, using a
critical review to note any weaknesses in the legislation and how officers could be better
supported is a methodology well suited to address my research question.

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Keywords include Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom,
mental health, depression, suicide rates, policing, disability claims, grievances, legislation,
policies, stigmatism, and family impact.
This thesis will employ secondary data collection. This will create an unobtrusive data
collection method, where the primary data collection method will be collecting scholarly articles
and other studies. This will allow me to conduct an empirical and thematic analysis from the
texts I collect via various articles and studies, allowing me to identify any legislative gaps. The
articles collected will be peer-reviewed, discussing legislation to help RCMP officers with
mental health, spanning into Australia or the UK. The reason for choosing to compare Australia
and the UK is because there is a vast amount of research and studies coming from these countries
for mental health initiatives and other various platforms for officers. They will also be beneficial
to look at because they are both common laws, the same as Canada, whereas the United States is
not, making legislation much more difficult to compare. I will also look at articles with
discussions about long-term disability claims and potential grievances experienced by RCMP
officers.
This thesis does not use primary data collection but only raw secondary data, so there is
no reason to submit ethics approval. The methods used are unobtrusive, peer-reviewed scholarly
sources that do not focus on qualitative collection methods, meaning there is no interaction
between individuals.
Once I have collected the data, analyzing the data to be clear and understandable is
crucial to outlining the impact that mental health has on RCMP officers and why they experience
difficulties discussing disability claims and grievances. By condensing the data into smaller
sections, a more accurate analysis of statistics and studies can occur. This will allow me to

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compare multiple countries with Canada to see the differences in legislation and discuss any
important issues that may be hindering RCMP officers and potentially why their mental health
challenges are increasing rather than declining.
Limitations of this research may include issues regarding generalizability, scope
restraints, legal and policy changes, and institutional and cultural differences. One of the most
consequential limitations is limited access to confidential information. By not having access to
RCMP officers’ mental health records, disability claims and other policy documents, it will be
difficult to examine the challenges these officers face accurately. Therefore, this thesis will rely
on publicly available reports for empirical and thematic analysis.
Mental Health
Mental health is a state of well-being, encompassing emotions, psychological, and social
well-being, which influences how we think, feel, act, cope with stress, relate to others and make
choices. Mental health is important because it affects our day-to-day lives, and if it is disrupted,
it can lead to a vast number of mental disorders. Mental disorders emerge from a complex
interplay of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and life experiences. A study done in
2019 revealed that mental health impacts roughly one in every eight people, which is about 970
million people, who live with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders (World
Health Organization, 2022). In 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread, estimates showed a 26%
increase in anxiety and a 28% increase in major depressive disorders. While that is the world
average for mental illnesses, 1 in 3 Canadians experience a form of mental illness in their
lifetime (Government of Canada, 2017). Humans can be affected by mental illness either directly
or indirectly through friends, family and colleagues. Mental disorders do not discriminate,
meaning they can affect all ages, cultures, income levels, and education levels, and nobody

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expects it to be them. This is why taking care of your mental health is so important, as well as
reaching out if you think you have a mental disorder. Although this is a statistic taken from all
Canadians, the number of people affected by certain jobs may either increase or decrease.
However, when viewing the RCMP, the number of officers affected is roughly 50%. Although
PTSD is among the most prevalent, officers screen positive for illnesses such as depression,
anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and others.
Federal Initiatives and Mental Health Policies for Policing
To analyze and process the issues involving RCMP officers accessing disability claims
and grievances that occur among them, one must fully understand what federal policies and
initiatives are already in place. In 2021, the RCMP implemented the Employee Well-Being
Strategy. The objective of this is to “focus on the provision of support services, early
intervention, and the prevention and treatment of employee mental health challenges as a part of
building a healthy, safe and productive workspace” (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2025).
Being an RCMP officer comes with an increased risk of mental health challenges. Introducing
such a policy will enhance the specialized training for officers and offer better tools, resources
and treatment which will overall prevent and restore mental health throughout the RCMP. The
RCMP, as well as many other police agencies, are trying to promote inclusivity and create a safe
workspace. The RCMP has many initiatives in place through the organization to help with
mental health, including the Peer-to-Peer Program (P2P), Support for Operational Stress Injuries
(SOSI), and the National Reintegration Program. Along with these initiatives, there are also
readily available support services like Employee Assistance Services, which provides
professional and confidential counselling, and an internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy
program (PSPNET), which is tailored to current and retired public safety personnel (RCMP,
2025). All these initiatives have been implemented in hopes to help control and reduce mental

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health challenges in the RCMP, however, a study done by the University of Regina this past
year, showed that not only are officers six times more likely to screen positive for any mental
health disorder than the population and twice as likely to screen positive than any other public
safety personnel, but that mental health of active RCMP members are getting worse (Carleton,
2024).
In Canada, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 people will
personally be affected by mental health problems or illnesses (Pineau, 2024). This underlines the
urgent need for further research to be conducted to figure out the next steps for these people who
are struggling. Compared to the general public, 64.7% of RCMP officers stated they struggled
with mental health disorders, they have the highest average number of exposures to potentially
psychological traumatic events (PPTEs), and recruits for the RCMP had a lower prevalence of
mental disorders (Fleischmann & Lair, 2024). There is an ongoing study called the “RCMP
Study” that is trying to mitigate these numbers and find solutions to improve officers’ mental
health. This study aims to develop, implement, and assess mental health solutions that can be
integrated into cadet mental health training. The current research focuses on the mental health of
RCMP cadets at the beginning of the Cadet Training Program (CTP) by following the training of
960 cadets. Four hundred eighty participants are involved in the new regiment involving
increased support and treatment, while the other 480 proceed as usual in the RCMP. Although
the study is ongoing, the expected outcome is that participants in the RCMP study with support
will experience lower levels of PTSI and overall exhibit better mental health overall.
Federal initiatives and mental health policies play a key role in combating the growing
mental health issues impacting RCMP officers. Due to this, many studies have been conducted
looking into the prevalence of suicide, depression, anxiety, PTSD and other illnesses. One study,
in particular, stood out, which highlights any suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among the

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RCMP. This study was completed in 2024 and provided many insights into the overarching
mental illnesses impacting the RCMP. This study compared the results to other studies
conducted in previous years and found that in 2023, RCMP officers reported significantly higher
numbers of lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. (See Table 1 below).
Table 1
Prevalence of Lifetime and Past-Year Suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.
Lifetime

Past-Year

Ideation

Planning

Attempts

Ideation

Planning

Attempts

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

34.1 (424)

15.9 (198)

4.0 (50)

11.4 (141)

4.6 (57)

^

27.8

13.3

4.6

10.1

4.1

0.3

29.91***

73.35***

153.52***

38.53***

47.45***

^

25.7

11.2

2.4

9.9

4.1

0.2

32.36***

81.33***

215.19***

39.01***

47.45***

^

RCMP Officers (Current
Sample)
Previous PSP Sample
Comparing Total Sample
and Previous

PSP
Total
Sample

Sample-Test statistic
Previous RCMP Sample
Comparing Total Sample
and Previous

RCMP

Sample-Test statistic

Note. *p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001 - Statistically significantly different. The total sample of
RCMP officers who participated in the study, compared to previous studies, including PSP and
other RCMP officers. Adapted from ”Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts among Royal

13
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)” by J. Nisbet, et al., 2024, Journal of Police and Criminal
Psychology, 40, 55-67.
This table compiles the results of all RCMP officers who completed the survey and
breaks it down into the ideation, planning and attempts of suicide over their lifetime as well as
the year before the study. Not only does this study include RCMP officers but it also includes the
results of public safety personnel (PSP) which can be used to determine where the RCMP
officers rank in terms of suicidal thoughts. As this table suggests, 34.1% of RCMP officers have
thought of suicide in their lifetime, whereas only 27.7% of PSP have had those same thoughts.
Although these numbers are not that different, it is important to note the number of RCMP
officers selected to participate in this survey and we simply do not know how many PSPs are
included in the percentage for their results. It is also important to note that this study has broken
up the research and categorized it into gender to understand better where mental illnesses are
more prevalent. (See Tables 2 and 3 below).
Table 2
Prevalence of Lifetime and Past-Year Suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.
Lifetime

Past-Year

Ideation

Planning

Attempts

Ideation

Planning

Attempts

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

31.1 (87)

15.0 (42)

4.3 (12)

7.1 (20)

3.2 (9)

^

29.6 (483)

15.7 (251)

7.6 (123)

9.6 (162)

3.7 (62)

0.5 (8)

14.35***

31.79***

55.53***

21.16***

25.30***

^

RCMP Officers (Current
Sample)
Previous PSP Sample
Women

Comparing Total Sample
and Previous

PSP

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Sample-Test statistic
Previous RCMP Sample

23.3

10.6

4.2

7.4

2.7

^

17.99***

40.35***

76.19***

24.60***

29.86***

^

Comparing Total Sample
and Previous

RCMP

Sample-Test statistic

Note. *p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001 - Statistically significantly different. Results from the women
who participated in the study, comparing their suicidal thoughts to previous studies, including
PSP and other RCMP officers. Adapted from ”Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts among
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)” by J. Nisbet, et al., 2024, Journal of Police and
Criminal Psychology, 40, 55-67.
Table 2 shows the results of all the female participants from the study. For this thesis, we
are using the first row labelled “RCMP Officers (Current Sample)” and the fourth row labelled
“Previous RCMP Sample”. The first row shows the ideation (first column), planning (second
column) and attempts (third column) of suicide among the current study group during the year
before the study and throughout their lifetime. The fourth row also uses the female participants’
results, except that these are the previous results taken from other studies. Comparing these
results are crucial in order to identify if suicidal thoughts are increasing or decreasing among
females in the RCMP.
Table 3
Prevalence of Lifetime and Past-Year Suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.
Lifetime

Past-Year

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Ideation

Planning

Attempts

Ideation

Planning

Attempts

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

34.6 (323)

16.0 (149)

3.5 (33)

12.6 (118)

4.9 (46)

^

26.8 (894)

12.0 (394)

3.1 (101)

10.3 (349)

4.2 (141)

0.3 (10)

26.57***

67.60***

164.26***

31.23***

39.31***

^

26.4

11.4

1.7

10.8

4.7

^

26.97***

69.70***

223.53***

30.29***

36.97***

^

RCMP Officers
(Current Sample)
Previous PSP Sample
Comparing Total
Sample and Previous

PSP

Men

Sample-Test statistic
Previous RCMP
Sample
Comparing Total
Sample and Previous

RCMP

Sample-Test statistic

Note. *p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001 - Statistically significantly different. Results from the men
who participated in the study, comparing their suicidal thoughts to previous studies, including
PSP and other RCMP officers. Adapted from ”Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts among
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)” by J. Nisbet, et al., 2024, Journal of Police and
Criminal Psychology, 40, 55-67.
Table 3 separates the males from the study groups and shows their results only. For the
purpose of this thesis, we will be reviewing the same elements as we did with Table 2. Row one
which shows the ideation, planning and attempts of male RCMP officers over the past year
before the study was administered as well as throughout their lifetime. Row four also looks at the

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same ideation planning and attempts however, this row is strictly for previous studies conducted
with similar parameters.
As the tables suggest, both male and female groups reported higher numbers compared to
previous years. Although the tables do not show any sociodemographic factors, the study also
reviewed marital status, rank, and area of operation in the RCMP. It was found that officers in a
committed relationship were less likely to report suicidal behaviours which may be an attempt
not to worry their partner by withholding the truth, however, it could also be because they are
supported in their home life more than those who are single. This study also discovered that
Sergeants and Staff Sergeants are less likely to report suicidal behaviours than lower-ranking
officers. The authors implore that this may be caused by “occupational stressors related to
specific job responsibilities and duties” (Nisbet, Andrews & Jamshidi, 2024). This was purely
done to examine how many officers experience symptoms of depression and the attempt,
ideations and planning of suicide. This study does not provide any insight into the actual RCMP
as the methods and resources are not publicly available, which is why more studies need to
occur.
Policy Comparison
Policy implementation is becoming more prominent in Canada for RCMP officers
regarding mental health, however, this question still stands as to why the suicide rates and mental
illnesses are becoming more prevalent among officers. By comparing the legislation in Canada
with other countries and cross-sectioning it with the suicide rates among their officers, we can
gather more information as to what the underlying issue is. The two countries that will be
discussed are Australia and the United Kingdom, simply because they are similar in size,
government, and laws protecting citizens which their officers abide by.

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Australia
In Australia, there are roughly 65,000 police officers in the Police Federation of Australia
(PFA), including the Australian Federal Police (AFP), as well as city and state police (Police
Federation of Australia, 2025). Australian police forces are similar in terms of the RCMP as
there is an increase in focus on mental health policies, which include resources and support for
officers, including access to mental health treatments, training on mental health issues, and
initiatives to reduce stigma and encourage seeking help (Arjmand et al., 2024). Among these
policies, one of the more prominent ones is the mental health treatment plan. This plan is part of
the “Better Access Initiative,” which gives Medicare rebates to help people access professional
mental health care and aims to improve outcomes for people suffering from mental health
conditions (Department of Health and Aged Care, 2025; Healthdirect Australia, 2023). Although
there is no legislation addressing police officers across the country, each state and territory has
its own mental health act.
With these policies and legislation put in place to help police officers struggling with
mental health illnesses, studies have been conducted to see whether they have made an impact. A
study published by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry looked at the ideation,
planning, and attempts of suicide by police and emergency services in Australia. This study is
the first of its kind as there is little to no research exploring suicidal thoughts among emergency
services. The article was released in 2020 at the beginning of COVID-19 which may have
skewed the results as some first responders may have shared their results during a pandemic,
leading to a higher percentage of suicidal thoughts. In total, 14,868 participants were tasked with
reporting any suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts in the 12 months before the survey or at any
stage in their life. Table 4 represents the overall percentage of services that participated in the
survey whereas Table 5 shows the hard data split up into the two groups.

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Table 4
Sample characteristics
Police
N

%

Male

4945

62.6

Female

3143

37.4

Less than 35 years

1607

27.9

35-44 years

2373

31.7

45-54 years

2892

28.8

55 years or over

1216

11.6

Less than 2 years

252

4.0

2-5 years

1048

15.6

5-10 years

1007

14.4

Over 10 years

5781

66.0

Gender-

Age-

Total Service-

Note. Percentage of police officers who participated in the study, separated by demographic.
Adapted from “Prevalence and predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian
police and emergency services employees” by M. J. Kyron, et al., 2020, Australian & New
Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55(2):180-195.
Table 5
Proportion and odds of employees indicating suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours by service and
demographic factors.
Suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months

Lifetime suicidal thoughts

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Ideation

Plans

OR
%

(95%

OR
%

CI)
Total

(95%

%

CI)

Attempts

Ideation

OR

OR

(95%

%

CI)

(95%

Plans

Attempts
OR

%

CI)

(95%

OR
%

CI)

(95%
CI)

5.3

-

2.0

-

0.3

-

12.3

-

5.7

-

1.9

-

4.7

1 (ref)

1.6

1 (ref)

0.2

1 (ref)

10.6

1 (ref)

4.7

1 (ref)

1.4

1 (ref)

Sector Police

Note. Police officers in the surveyed group who indicated suicidal thoughts. Adapted from
“Prevalence and predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian police and
emergency services employees” by M. J. Kyron, et al., 2020, Australian & New Zealand Journal
of Psychiatry, 55(2):180-195.
Table 5 shows the prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts, which are
separated into two categories: suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months before the study and
suicidal thoughts over the span of the participants lifetime. Although there is no exact time frame
for when the lifetime suicidal thoughts occurred, we can see that based on the numbers, out of
roughly 8,000 police officers, there were few suicidal thoughts in the 12 months before this
study. Since this study was conducted prior to COVID-19, the results may have differed if it had
been taken a year later. These numbers further emphasize the strength of the policies put in place
for officers in Australia, confirming that the legislation is working and potentially saving the
lives of many officers. Although the work atmosphere and stressors faced to Australian police
are not provided, as well as there are no statistics on how many officers reach out for help, it is
only an assumption that one of the reasons these officers have low suicidal thoughts is due to the
help and support available to them.
United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, there are roughly 147,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) officers.
This is the highest police count the UK has seen since 2003, slowing down in recent years as
there was only a 0.2% increase from last year (Home Office, 2024). With this many officers,
having policies for mental health is crucial as they will be needed to govern every single officer
and have support for them when needed. As a part of the “Right Care, Right Person” model, the
UK is focused on improving police officer’s well-being, while providing practical, emotional,
and financial support for these officers and their families who may have been affected by mental
health issues (Government Events, 2024). Along with this initiative, there are also programs such
as “Mind’s Blue Light Programme” which is an officer mental health support line, and
“Samaritans”, a confidential support line and listening ears for all officers. Numerous charities in
the United Kingdom collaborate with one another to benefit and support all serving and former
members of police officers and their families, the main organization is “Police Charities UK”
(College of Policing, 2025).
As we can see, there are several different policies and legislation put in place to help
support police officers struggling with mental health. With the amount of officers serving in the
UK, there are also challenges that come with the job. Since the UK is quite a large country, there
is a lot of crime that occurs, which is why studies have shown that roughly 90% of police
officers have experienced trauma in the workplace, and one in five of those participants (11,000)
reported symptoms of either PTSD or Complex PTSD (University of Cambridge, 2025). Time
pressures and workload often lead to increased stress which led to officers being unwilling to
seek support. Searching up suicide prevalence among UK officers in Google Scholar will take
you to a couple sources which do not have much statistics regarding the entire country, however
an article by the Office for National Statistics reveals that the information requested “would
constitute personal information about individuals owing to the very low figures involved,” which

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hints towards there being very few suicides among the police in the United Kingdom. Cambridge
University found that from their study conducted with 11,000 officers, 8.0% revealed they had
PTSD and 12.6% experienced Complex PTSD. Although there may be some overlap between
the two responses, this figure is quite low considering the number of officers who exhibited
symptoms of trauma.
Comparison
When looking at Australia and the UK, we can see that the number of police officers who
exhibit signs of mental health illnesses and PTSD are quite prevalent. That being said, they are
much better off than the RCMP. Although the UK did not have any statistics for the ideation,
planning or attempt of suicide by police officers (due to them preferring not to disclose that
information), we can see from Australia that 5% of the officers involved in the study said they
had the idea of suicide in the year before the study. In contrast, the participants in the RCMP
reported a 12% ideation rate. Although it does not seem like a big gap when reviewing the data,
when looking at lifetime rates for suicidal thoughts, the RCMP officers are more than twice as
likely to report suicidal thoughts. The United Kingdom did not have any data for suicidal
thoughts, but they did have some statistics for PTSD. It is surprising that in a study of over
10,000 officers, only 8% reported PTSD symptoms, which is a very low figure, suggesting that
Australia and the UK are doing something the RCMP should consider. Since this thesis does not
use any qualitative data, it is difficult to get the entire picture as to what the cause is for these
suicidal thoughts and why the RCMP is experiencing a much higher rate among officers. That is
why using tables to analyze the hard data is necessary because although the whole picture is not
shown, the numbers speak for themselves.
Factors Affecting RCMP PPTEs

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RCMP officers frequently endure PPTEs, and on average, they are exposed to at least 13
different types of PPTEs, which is significantly higher than the public. There is no quantitative
data regarding Australia and the United Kingdom and the officers experiencing PPTEs, so it is
difficult to quantify why the RCMP is experiencing such high numbers compared to other
countries. Although it may be difficult, there are a couple of factors that could contribute to the
higher numbers of PPTEs experienced by the RCMP.
One of the factors that could be contributing to the RCMP experiencing higher levels of
PTSD could be the vast geographic coverage and potential remote postings. In the RCMP,
officers are not strictly zoned to a certain urban area. Instead, they are zoned to a region which
includes urban, rural and remote Indigenous communities that are isolated from medical
assistance and potential backup which may take hours to arrive. The officers in the remote
postings could also experience extreme isolation from society, harsh weather and lack of
resources which can result in higher levels of stress and other mental health challenges (RCMP,
2025). When comparing this to police forces in Australia or the United Kingdom, they typically
operate within smaller and more densely populated regions reducing response times and isolation
risks.
Another factor contributing to the higher rate of PPTEs experienced by the RCMP could
be the broad scope of duties and responsibilities these officers have. Unlike certain municipal
and provincial police, the RCMP functions as a federal, provincial and municipal force which
requires officers to handle a wide variety of policing duties, including, but not limited to,
counterterrorism, border security, drug enforcement and cybercrime (Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, 2023). Although Canada has city police, the RCMP are still stationed in cities, both rural
and urban, to contribute to the overall policing responsibilities. In contrast, Australia and the
United Kingdom have separate agencies and police forces for many of these tasks, reducing the

23
burden on the frontline officers. Along with the increased responsibilities, the RCMP is very
similar to the United States regarding carrying firearms, regularly responding to calls that require
the use of firearms, where backup may be limited. While this is for the RCMP, the same cannot
be said for police officers in Australia or the United Kingdom. Most officers in the UK do not
carry firearms. This is because they are reserved for the Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs)
deployed for incidents requiring firearms (Metropolitan Police, 2025). In Australia, most officers
carry firearms, however, they operate in more urbanized environments with quicker access to
specialized units, limiting the use of firearms.
Lastly, spanning across the entire country, Canada has over 600 recognized Indigenous
communities (Government of Canada, 2024). The RCMP has officers monitoring every single
community, often dealing with intergenerational trauma, missing and murdered Indigenous
women (MMIW) and mental health crises, which contribute to the trauma these officers are
exposed to. These types of traumas can be emotionally taxing to officers and potentially put them
in a vulnerable spot regarding socio-political tension. Although Australia and the United
Kingdom also have Indigenous populations with historical grievances, they are much more
minimal, considering the UK does not have any “recognized” Indigenous populations. These
situations and experiences lead to many RCMP officers being exposed to PPTEs and suffering
mental illnesses because of them.
Barriers to Mental Health Disclosure
Exploring the policies and legislations that have been implemented reveals numerous
initiatives to assist RCMP officers. However, the question still stands as to why mental health is
not improving. Along with mental health comes grievances and officers accessing long-term
disability claims. For an RCMP officer, if they are having trouble with mental health, there are

24
steps they must take to seek help. As mentioned, there are multiple resources for officers, yet the
first step can always be difficult because most of the help is administered over the phone which
does not have a personal touch. For this very reason, in 2019, Sergeant Jesse Gilbert decided to
arrange mental health counselling for employees at the RCMP detachment in Fort Smith
(Northcott, 2019). In this article, an anonymous RCMP officer mentions that it is difficult to
reach out as there is a mentality among officers to “suck it up and move on,” which evermore
reinstates the stigma in the RCMP for them to “be tough.” No amount of legislation can get rid
of the “police culture” in the RCMP, which has been criticized as being “overtly masculine,
politically conservative, communally isolated, cynical, action-oriented, and marked by extreme
loyalty among officers” (Buchanan & Burns, 2020). The reality is that nothing can change the
impact officers face from their day-to-day jobs. Factors such as operational, organizational and
family stressors will always impact officers' mental health, even when there are preventative
measures and tools for them to use.
Fear of Job Loss
While the RCMP has taken steps to improve mental health resources and policies, there
are still concerns that persist and continue to discourage officers from speaking out about their
struggles. One of the factors that may be causing an increase in mental health illnesses is the fear
of job loss or career stagnation among officers. If an officer comes forward about their mental
illness, they could be placed on administrative duty, have their firearm taken away, or even face
medical discharge if their condition is deemed “too severe.” Suppose something like this occurs
to an officer. In that case, it will go on their permanent record and by further seeking help or
disclosing more about their health condition, this may lead to them being passed over for a
promotion, may not be able to apply for specialized roles and, worst-case scenario, they may lose
their leadership position within the RCMP and have little to no hope of re-obtaining it. Although

25
job loss occurs everywhere in the world, most jobs encourage people to reach out about mental
illnesses. While the RCMP does as well, it seems that most officers would rather suffer with their
illness than suffer the consequences of being diagnosed with a “severe” illness and potentially
ruining their careers.
Cultural Stigma Within RCMP
Another reason officers may choose not to come forward or speak up about their mental
illness could be due to a cultural stigma within the RCMP. Although stigmatization occurs in
other law enforcement agencies, the RCMP is built on tradition and has a certain way of
doing/dealing with everything. When an officer discloses his or her mental illness, there is a
certain degree of privacy that is taken to ensure the anonymity of the officer. Although this may
be the case, there could still be a distrust about how mental health disclosures are handled and
whether private information could affect their reputation within the force if it were to get out.
This can be found in a discussion paper from the RCMP External Review Committee,
highlighting that “in policing, seeking psychological support can lead to managerial and peer
concerns about an officer’s capability. This apprehension may deter officers from seeking
necessary treatment, fearing that their medical information might not remain confidential and
could negatively affect their careers” (Parent, 2015). On top of this, not only are officers worried
about the distrust of their confidential information and how it is handled, but they may also be
worried about how colleagues perceive them, which may lead them to be seen as unreliable or
incapable of doing a particular job. This could potentially end up with them feeling isolated and
excluded, which can have a major impact on their job performance and morale. Lastly, the
RCMP prides themselves on resilience and toughness, making it harder for officers to seek help
without fearing repercussions.
Disability Claims and Grievances

26
RCMP officers who seek long-term disability (LTD) benefits often encounter several
bureaucratic hurdles that can hinder their access to necessary support. Supporting officers plays
crucial in the government and providing support for the RCMP and other PSP. Although this is
the case when an officer tries to claim LTD, they are met with a complex and prolonged claims
process; there can be a lack of communication between agencies and the claimant, and worst of
all, there may be a lack of resources for the officers in the disability management programs.
According to the Government of Canada, issued by the Senior Director in 2020, “While Veterans
Affairs Canada (VAC) adjudicates and administers disability pension claims for the RCMP,
effective collaboration is essential. Any misalignment or communication gaps can result in
processing delays and misunderstandings” (Government of Canada, 2020). These delays and
misunderstandings can lead to officers having no support or being unable to access their
disability claims due to the lack of communication. Besides communication, there are many
reasons as to why the approval process may take longer than anticipated. These can be due to the
lengthy paperwork involved, extensive medical documentation, contacting multiple agencies,
and even waiting for approval on payment causes further delays.
Another key factor in why some officers choose to go through obtaining LTDs or have
difficulty is the lack of support from leadership, ultimately stemming from the cultural barriers
and stigma. By filing a claim, some officers risk the ability to apply for promotions, being
excluded, or potentially fired if the claim comes back severe enough. When an officer goes
through making a claim, they must prove their injuries and when it comes to mental illnesses like
PTSD or depression, these may be difficult to “verify.” Officers may struggle to find the root
cause of their symptoms and, in doing so, could lead to skepticism in the evaluator. All of these
factors play a major role in the process of obtaining an LTD which is why many officers choose
not to go through with it because of the hassle or the stigma surrounding “toughness.”

27
How to Change This Reality
The RCMP has been around for decades. When it was established in 1873, there was
little to no knowledge of mental illnesses or other health-related issues that may arise from the
job. Over time, the RCMP has seemingly kept many of the practices they once used and
continues to hold onto too many stigmas and other views on what makes a “good” officer. Due to
this, they may have fallen behind the rest of the world and by continuing these old practices, they
are creating a sense of fear and dissatisfaction among officers which is evident by the increase in
medical discharge and resignations. Between 2013 and 2019, a statistic from the RCMP showed
that the number of medical discharges jumped to 1,112, which was roughly 150 in 2013 (Gerster,
2019). This increase first started in 2013 when Steven Harper repealed section 45.27 of the
RCMP Act. This allowed the discharge or demotion of a Mountie until their appeal or claim had
been determined. By comparing the RCMP to other police forces, such as Australia and the
United Kingdom, there is much room for growth. It might be beneficial to apply similar tactics to
Canada’s police forces to better the officer’s mental health and provide more resources and
support.
Dissemination
This thesis could be used for many different purposes and by different groups such as
police and mental health advocacy associations. Some branches of the RCMP could use it to
improve the current routine practice when an officer talks about mental health disorders and the
protocols in place. These findings may be helpful for the government in bringing about
legislative changes to help protect the officers and the potential grievances faced when lodging a
long-term disability file. One particular aspect noted when comparing the legislation between
Australia and Canada, is that Australia appears to offer more support for its officers. This could

28
well be a learning opportunity for the RCMP. At the very least, the stigmatization of open
discussion of mental health issues could be reduced and hopefully eliminated.
Conclusion
Overall, this thesis has added important insight to the existing work surrounding mental health
among RCMP officers and legislation in place to help, as well as areas where certain policies
may be lacking. This project revealed that there are many policies and regulations in place to
help RCMP officers, yet mental illnesses continue to increase year after year. With the
comparison of police forces in Australia and the United Kingdom, it is evident that while the
RCMP does deal with various challenges that other countries may not be, there are certain areas
where there is minimal support for officers and a strong stigma which leads many officers to stay
quiet instead of simply reaching out. Although the studies that were compared have varying
numbers in participants, one thing is evident, and it is that RCMP officers experience greater
than usual numbers in suicidal thoughts, ideation, and planning. With the limited resources
readily available, it is no shock that these officers suffer more from mental illnesses than many
other countries police force, especially when compared to the general population. Further issues
may arise depending on the results of the RCMP Study, since it is evident that with the extra
support given to certain officers, there is an increase in their mental health. On the contrary,
officers who are proceeding without any adaptations are experiencing more challenges with
mental health due to the lack of help. There are many barriers that RCMP officers experience
when dealing with mental health disclosures, many which are due to the current policies and
legislation which have greatly impacted these officers since they may feel lesser than if they
come forward.

29
This project was centred around the pre-existing legislation and comparing them to other
countries in order to gain a clearer understanding of why RCMP officers are struggling so much.
Whether it is through non-profit organizations or government-funded programs, there needs to be
a greater increase in support for these officers. The RCMP has been around for centuries with
very little change and with the ever-increasing mental illness rates and suicidal thoughts, it
would be beneficial for the RCMP to be more open with the idea of disclosing mental health
disorders. While some countries view comparing themselves with other countries as a negative
thing, in this case, it is beneficial for Canada to take the time to consider adapting their
legislation and RCMP policing model more in line with a similar country such as Australia or the
United Kingdom.

30
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