Officer Wellness and Stress Management Flashcards

What is Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) and when is it typically used in law enforcement?

Answer: A structured group intervention to help officers process trauma after critical incidents such as line-of-duty deaths, mass casualties, or traumatic calls

CISD is a structured psychological intervention provided to groups of officers who experienced a critical incident, designed to process the emotional impact and reduce long-term psychological harm.

Which of the following is a recognized symptom cluster of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in law enforcement?

Answer: Intrusive re-experiencing (flashbacks/nightmares), avoidance, hyperarousal, and negative changes in mood/cognition

PTSD involves four symptom clusters: intrusion (flashbacks/nightmares), avoidance, negative alterations in cognition/mood, and hyperarousal/reactivity.

Under Florida law, what benefit protection does F.S. §112.18 provide to law enforcement officers diagnosed with PTSD?

Answer: There is a legal presumption that PTSD suffered by a law enforcement officer arose out of and in the course of their employment

Florida Statute §112.18 creates a rebuttable presumption that PTSD in law enforcement officers is work-related, facilitating workers' compensation and benefits claims.

What is 'compassion fatigue' in law enforcement, and how does it differ from burnout?

Answer: Compassion fatigue results from empathic engagement with traumatized people; burnout results from chronic workplace stress not necessarily involving trauma

Compassion fatigue is secondary traumatic stress from repeated empathic exposure to others' trauma; burnout is exhaustion from chronic workplace demands — both affect officers but have distinct causes.

What is the recommended first step when an officer believes a colleague may be experiencing a mental health crisis?

Answer: Make direct, supportive contact with the colleague and encourage them to seek help through peer support or the Employee Assistance Program

The recommended approach is direct, caring peer contact — expressing concern and encouraging voluntary help-seeking through peer support or EAP — before escalating to supervisory or administrative action.

Which of the following best describes 'hypervigilance' in law enforcement and its potential long-term impact?

Answer: A chronic state of elevated alertness developed through police work that can lead to anxiety, sleep disorders, relationship problems, and physical health issues off-duty

Hypervigilance is a chronic heightened alertness state that serves officers on duty but can cause anxiety, sleep problems, irritability, and difficulty relaxing off duty — contributing to cumulative stress and health problems.