Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets

Katie L. Andrews; Laleh Jamshidi; Robyn E. Shields; Taylor A. Teckchandani; Tracie O. Afifi; Amber J. Fletcher; Shannon Sauer-Zavala; Alain Brunet; Gregory P. Krätzig; R. Nicholas Carleton

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361

Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets

Katie L. Andrews
, Laleh Jamshidi
, Robyn E. Shields
, Taylor A. Teckchandani
, Tracie O. Afifi
, Amber J. Fletcher
, Shannon Sauer-Zavala
, Alain Brunet
, Gregory P. Krätzig
, R. Nicholas Carleton

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP. Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions. Results: RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge (d = 0.233) and stigma (d = 0.127), and higher service use intentions (d = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all ps < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions. Conclusion: The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.

Original language	English
Article number	1123361
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361
State	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Andrews, Jamshidi, Shields, Teckchandani, Afifi, Fletcher, Sauer-Zavala, Brunet, Krätzig and Carleton.

Funding

The RCMP Study is supported by the RCMP, the Government of Canada, and the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. TA is supported by a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience. The development, analyses, and distribution of the current article were supported by a generous grant from the Medavie Foundation. The authors express their special thanks to the following people (alphabetically by last name) who have provided tremendous support for the current study in several different ways since inception: RCMP and Government Leaders—William Sterling Blair, Jasmin Breton, Sylvie Châteauvert, Daniel Dubeau, Ralph Edward Goodale, Louise Lafrance, Brenda Lucki, Sylvie Bourassa Muise, and Stephen White; Academics—Kelly J. Abrams, Billea Ahlgrim, Myles Ferguson, Jennifer Gordon, Chet Hembroff, Bridget Klest, Laurie Sykes-Tottenham, and Kristi Wright; University of Regina executive, administrative, and technical team members—Olabisi Adesina, Seerat Bassi, Chris Beckett, Brad Berezowski, Jonathan Burry, Murray Daku, Krysten Forbes, Jolene Goulden, Sally Gray, Kadie Hozempa, Xiaoqian Huang, Maria Kamil, Anita Kohl, Donna King, Jordan MacNeil, David Malloy, Akiff Maredia, Kathy McNutt, Megan Milani, Sara Moradizadeh, Sajid Naseem, Obimma Onuegbu, Abimbola Ogunkoyode, Steve Palmer, Cynthia Sanders, Mikhail Shchukin, Shubham Sharma, Vianne Timmons, Preeti Tyagi, Abinyah Walker, Keyur Variya, Christopher Yost, and Zhe Zhang; Clinical staff and supervised clinicians—Andreanne Angehrn, Michael Edmunds, Amelie Fournier, Lis Hansen, Stephanie Korol, Caeleigh Landry, Katherine Mazenc, Michelle Paluszek, Vanessa Peynenburg, Lloyd Robertson, Joelle Soucy, Emilie Thomas, and Vivian Tran.

Funders
Medavie Foundation
Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Sylvie Bourassa Muise
Canada Excellence Research Chairs, Government of Canada
Canada Excellence Research Chairs, Government of Canada

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

cadets
help-seeking behavior
mental health services
mental health stigma
mental health training
police
public safety personnel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Psychology

Access to Document

10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361

Cite this

Andrews, K. L., Jamshidi, L., Shields, R. E., Teckchandani, T. A., Afifi, T. O., Fletcher, A. J., Sauer-Zavala, S., Brunet, A., Krätzig, G. P., & Carleton, R. N. (2023). Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1123361. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361

@article{0ea001f3755b4583909ae608100e7b48,

title = "Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets",

abstract = "Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP. Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions. Results: RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge (d = 0.233) and stigma (d = 0.127), and higher service use intentions (d = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all ps < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions. Conclusion: The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.",

keywords = "cadets, help-seeking behavior, mental health services, mental health stigma, mental health training, police, public safety personnel",

author = "Andrews, \{Katie L.\} and Laleh Jamshidi and Shields, \{Robyn E.\} and Teckchandani, \{Taylor A.\} and Afifi, \{Tracie O.\} and Fletcher, \{Amber J.\} and Shannon Sauer-Zavala and Alain Brunet and Kr{\"a}tzig, \{Gregory P.\} and Carleton, \{R. Nicholas\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023 Andrews, Jamshidi, Shields, Teckchandani, Afifi, Fletcher, Sauer-Zavala, Brunet, Kr{\"a}tzig and Carleton.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets

AU - Andrews, Katie L.

AU - Jamshidi, Laleh

AU - Shields, Robyn E.

AU - Teckchandani, Taylor A.

AU - Afifi, Tracie O.

AU - Fletcher, Amber J.

AU - Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

AU - Brunet, Alain

AU - Krätzig, Gregory P.

AU - Carleton, R. Nicholas

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP. Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions. Results: RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge (d = 0.233) and stigma (d = 0.127), and higher service use intentions (d = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all ps < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions. Conclusion: The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.

AB - Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP. Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions. Results: RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge (d = 0.233) and stigma (d = 0.127), and higher service use intentions (d = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all ps < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions. Conclusion: The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.

KW - cadets

KW - help-seeking behavior

KW - mental health services

KW - mental health stigma

KW - mental health training

KW - police

KW - public safety personnel

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85159926662

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85159926662#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361

DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123361

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85159926662

SN - 1664-1078

VL - 14

JO - Frontiers in Psychology

JF - Frontiers in Psychology

M1 - 1123361

ER -

Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this