An Assessment of the Effects of Traumatic Exposures among Police Officers in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Due to the nature of their work, police officers are frequently exposed to traumatic events. This study therefore sought to fill that gap by identifying the effects of traumatic exposure on police officers in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study focused on three aspects of the effects of traumatic exposure which are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and drug and substance abuse. The study aimed at identifying the kind of traumatic events police officers encounter; determining the traumatic symptoms exhibited following a traumatic exposure in their line of duty, assessing the effects of the traumatic exposure and finding out the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and post traumatic exposure effects. The research design for this study was cross-sectional descriptive using quantitative methods. The sample size was 178 officers sampled using the convenience sampling technique. The data collection tools used were four questionnaires, namely the Traumatic Exposure Questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale, PHQ9 and ASSIST. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Some of the key findings showed that 73% of the police officers are exposed to traumatic events in the course of duty. This study also found that the prevalence of PTSD among police officers was at 73% while depression was at 72%; and that 93% abused drugs. A key recommendation for this study was the need for psychological services such counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation and trauma recovery to be provided among police officers. In conclusion the study also drew attention to the need for psycho-education among police officers concerning the possible effects of traumatic exposure.