ARC Linkage project: [LP200200834]

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacqueline Drew & Professor Janet Ransley

Partner Investigator: Katarina Carroll, Police Commissioner (Former)

Collaboration with Queensland Police Service, Australia.

Police are essential to our communities but pay a high price for their service. The most serious causes of harm extend beyond traumatic events and stem from organisational stressors that are under the purview of police agencies. Agencies who fail to address mental health impacts of their own organisational systems on police personnel are failing in their duty of care.

The project developed a robust and culturally competent psychosocial hazards survey designed specifically for policing, the Psychosocial Hazard & Risk (PH-R) survey. This is the most empirically validated methodological approach to the calculation of psychosocial risk metrics for policing, available anywhere in the World. The methodology and approach that has been developed, an ‘Early Warning System for Police Workplace Health and Performance’ (EWS), provides an explanatory, predictive and preventative road map to addressing organisational factors that underpin police workplace wellbeing. Using the EWS will provide an organisational system and environment that for police personnel that promotes physical and psychological health.

Police leaders have a responsibility to build and sustain healthy work environments, but police agencies must support leaders so that they are adequately resourced to meet these responsibilities. This project has provided the foundation to build the skills and knowledge police leaders need to develop psychosocial hazard and risk management intervention plans. As a result of this project, police leaders will be better able to build police workplaces that mitigate key psychosocial workplace hazards that are having negative psychological impacts on those who serve in the police profession.

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacqueline Drew & Ms Sherri Martin

Collaboration with National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP), Nashville, United States.

The National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP) Biennial Survey of Critical Issues in Policing is a nationwide survey of United States law enforcement officers and leaders conducted every two years on behalf of NFOP, the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. The survey led by Sherri Martin (FOP National Director, Wellness Services) and Dr Jacqueline Drew (Griffith University, Australia) gathers insights about critical issues that are currently facing policing at the time of survey administration and the mental health and wellness of those who serve in the police profession. The survey captures contemporary perspectives on a wide range of topics, including officer safety, recruitment and retention, training needs, mental health and wellness, use of force, public trust, and emerging crime trends.

The survey serves as both a diagnostic and advocacy tool, helping to identify systemic concerns and inform policy discussions at local, state, and national levels. The data collected not only reflects operational challenges within agencies but also highlights the broader cultural and societal dynamics of law enforcement agencies. The results are used to shape NFOP initiatives, influence legislative priorities, and support evidence-based approaches to improving policing practice and officer wellbeing across the United States.

Chief Investigator: Dr Jacqueline Drew

Partner Investigators: Brian Codd, Assistant Commissioner (Former) & Katarina Carroll, Police Commissioner (Former)

Research Support: Detective Sergeant Sandra Ellis

Collaboration with Queensland Police Service, Australia; Funding provided by Griffith Criminology Institute.

This study was led by Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew in partnership with Katarina Carroll, Queensland Police Commissioner (former) and with the support of Brian Codd, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner. It is one of the most comprehensive analyses to date of police suicide within a single Australian law enforcement agency. Covering a 10-year period (2008–2018), the research identified 18 suicide deaths among Queensland Police Service officers, comprising nine active and nine former officers. Notably, the number of suicide deaths exceeded the number of line-of-duty deaths during the same period.

The study sheds new light on the complex and often hidden psychological toll of police work. It found that workplace stress was a significant factor in the psychological distress experienced by many active officers who died by suicide. Organisational factors also played a role in understanding former officer suicides, particularly those who had medically retired. The concept of “police identity” emerged as a critical theme.  Officers struggled with thoughts of a loss of identity associated with leaving policing despite the psychological impacts it was having on them.

Importantly, the research highlighted that former officers who die by suicide are rarely included in suicide data related to the law enforcement profession, particularly in Australia. Current existing reporting methods are flawed in capturing this information. This underscored the call made in the report for a national (Australia-wide), centralised suicide database that includes both active and former police personnel. This work offers a best-practice model for data collection, analysis, and collaboration between police agencies and researchers.

The study proposed new strategies for early identification of mental health risk, agency responses to help-seeking, and support that would positively impact on suicide prevention actions. The research has significant implications for policy and practice, providing the way forward for more effective, evidence-based suicide prevention strategies in Australian policing.

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacob Keech & Dr Jacqueline Drew

Collaboration with Queensland Police Service, Australia.

This research and subsequent report presented findings from a comprehensive study into the occupational stress and wellbeing of forensic staff (police and staff members) within the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the study examined the impact of general and forensic-specific job demands, available support resources, and coping strategies on stress-related outcomes, including psychological distress, burnout, and vicarious trauma.

Key findings revealed high rates of vicarious trauma and burnout among forensic staff, driven not only by traumatic exposure but significantly by organisational and operational stressors such as workload, administrative demands, and support deficits. While many forensic staff reported adequate job satisfaction and work performance, a substantial proportion were at risk of disengagement. Supervisor support and perceptions of organisational commitment to psychological safety were critical resources linked to better outcomes. Stigma around help-seeking and underutilisation of support services were noted barriers to wellbeing.

The report provides evidence-based recommendations to the Forensic Services Group for targeted interventions, such as enhancing supervisor capabilities, reviewing wellness initiatives, addressing administrative burdens, and promoting help-seeking cultures, particularly among long-tenured staff.

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacqueline Drew & Dr Jacob Keech

Partner Investigator: Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes

Collaboration with Crime Intelligence Command, Queensland Police Service, Australia.

The EMPOWER Staff Program addresses psychosocial hazards in policing. Rooted in empirical research, the program moves beyond traditional “resilience” training to empower staff to identify and influence the systemic factors that affect their wellbeing. It directly responds to the growing need for workplace interventions that prioritise modifying the work environment itself, rather than relying solely on the individual to adapt.

The pilot program was delivered to 78 detectives across the Queensland Police Service, including members of the Homicide, Child Abuse and Sex Crimes, and Child Protection Investigation Units. From pre- to post-program, participants demonstrated medium to large increases in their ability to identify workplace stressors, assess the impact on their mental health, and implement concrete strategies and action plans to manage wellbeing both individually and collectively. The program has a unique capacity to address often-overlooked structural sources of stress.

Feedback from police staff indicated the relevance and effectiveness of the program. Nearly all participants (98%) rated the EMPOWER Staff Program as more useful than other wellbeing initiatives they had experienced, describing it as uniquely relevant, practical, and responsive to the realities of police work. Rather than delivering generic stress management education, EMPOWER focuses on helping staff understand the interplay between job demands and resources, explore their scope of control, and identify changes at the individual, team, and organisational levels that promote wellbeing within a police specific context.

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacqueline Drew & Dr Jacob Keech

Partner Investigators: Chief Inspector Don McKay & Detective Superintendent Bruce McNab

Collaboration with Forensic Service Group, Queensland Police Service, Australia & Cairns District, Queensland Police Service, Australia

The EMPOWER Leaders Program, developed by Dr Jacqueline Drew and Dr Jacob Keech, addresses a critical gap in police leadership capability. EMPOWER Leaders responds to new Australian workplace health and safety by equipping mid-level police leaders to better identify psychosocial hazards and manage psychosocial risks. This program is at the forefront of leadership development, seeking to address high rates of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, which are common amongst police cohorts.

The 2-day EMPOWER Leaders Program was designed for mid-level police leaders, who have substantive scope to influence wellbeing. Workshop 1 addresses psychological health of leaders and positions them as role models. Workshop 2 builds capability, addressing psychosocial hazards, and co-designing preventative strategies that mitigate risk and enhance staff wellbeing.

The EMPOWER Leaders Program was piloted with 66 police leaders in the Forensic Services Group and primarily, Officers In Charge (OICs) Cairns District, Queensland Police Service. With strong cultural alignment to policing, the pilot program achieved outstanding results. Between 90–95% of leaders endorsed program acceptability; 93% valued the police-specific approach; and, 95% rated it more impactful than previous leadership training. Seven months after program delivery, a senior police leader reflected, “we are grateful to Drs Drew and Keech for the significant contribution made by their research and program; it greatly contributes to the ongoing development of our people and organisation.”

Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew

Partner Investigators: Mr Stuart Bartels & Dr Vicki Herrington

Collaboration with Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM), Australia; Funding provided by Australian Institute of Police Management and Griffith Criminology Institute.

Leadership for Wellness was a collaborative initiative between Dr Drew and the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) aimed at transforming how police and public safety leaders support employee wellbeing. Recognising that organisational and operational stressors are more predictive of psychological harm than trauma alone, this project introduced a pioneering Leadership for Wellness Strategy. The strategy included a framework for a pilot leadership development program grounded in the Health-Oriented Leadership model, and the stimulation of a global conversation on wellness-focused leadership.

Designed as a primary prevention approach, the project positioned leadership development as central pillar in creating healthier, more sustainable public safety workplaces. The project produced a comprehensive white paper, ‘Leadership for Wellness: A Strategy for Developing Police and Public Safety Leaders’.

Read the White Paper here: https://www.aipm.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-06/Wellness%20-%20KH%20-%20310523-combined.pdf

ARC Discovery project: [DP220102172]

Chief Investigators: Dr Jacqueline Drew & Professor Tim Prenzler

Study of Australian and New Zealand Police Agencies.

This study is unique in advancing knowledge of and evaluating contemporary efforts to significantly enhance the involvement of women in Australian and New Zealand policing through recruitment targets, targeted advertising and associated organisational inclusion strategies. The study also has a forward focus, it will produce valuable practical, best practice lessons to drive future management of equity issues in policing in Australia and internationally, and other occupations with strong traditions of gender discrimination. Police organisations should be representative of the communities that they serve and gender representation is associated with several critical organisational performance indicators. Research demonstrates that greater representation of women police has a transformative effect on police agencies, it improves service delivery, victim support, and reduces corruption and excessive force. Beyond domestic policing, gender representativeness is a key pillar in Australia's police policies in providing a more gender inclusive service in international peacemaking and capacity building missions.

Collaborators: Dr Jacqueline Drew, Ms Maureen McGough & Detective Superintendent David Cowan

Collaboration with 30x30 Initiative, United States, Australian and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing (ANZSEBP) and Victoria Police; supported by Australasian Council of Women in Policing (ACWAP), Australia.

The one-day ‘Gender Diversity in Policing’ symposium was conducted as the third day of the 2024 Australian and New Zealand Evidence Based Policing Conference. It focused on advancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. The symposium was led by national (Dr Jacqueline Drew) and international experts (Maureen McGough) who facilitated discussions on promising practices for advancing gender equity in police agency. Symposium participants engaged in thought provoking presentations, plenary sessions and panel discussions. The symposium explored the challenges and opportunities related to diversity in policing. During the symposium data was collected from participants to gain a contemporary understanding of critical issues in gender equity in policing from the perspective of those working in the field.

Symposium Agenda: https://anzsebpconference.com.au/gender-diversity-in-policing-symposia

Chief Investigator: Dr Jacqueline Drew

Expert Report provided to Queensland Police Service, Australia.

Dr Jacqueline Drew was commissioned by the Recruiting Section, Queensland Police Service (QPS) to provide an expert report, involving a review and recommendations, related to cognitive abilities testing used to screen applicants seeking entry into the QPS Police Academy. The specific objectives of the research on which key recommendations were made included: the relationship between ACER test scores and Academy achievement and examining Education Training Officer (ETO) ratings of First Year Constables (FYCs) on Core Attributes. The report provided several recommendations regarding cut-off scores on ACER tests used in selection, consideration of advice given to police recruit applicants regarding cognitive abilities testing, the provision of test ‘resits’ and a review of the eligibility criteria for exception from ACER testing.

Chief Investigator: Dr Jacqueline Drew

Expert Report provided to Queensland Police Service, Australia.

Dr Jacqueline Drew was commissioned by the Recruiting Section, Queensland Police Service (QPS) to provide an expert report. involving a review and recommendations related to psychological testing used to screen applicants seeking entry into the QPS Police Academy. The specific objectives of the research on which key recommendations were made included: analysis of selection, use and interpretation of psychological assessment tools used by QPS in the context of an evidence-based review and review of psychological assessment processes and policies used by the QPS in respect to its alignment with contemporary recruitment and selection best practice. Further research undertaken for the purpose of informing recommendations included: a review of empirical literature and research on the use and practices associated with psychological testing in police recruitment and types of psychological assessment tools used in contemporary police contexts and a review of empirical literature and research on the expansion of psychological testing beyond 'performance', including resilience, psychological harm and emotional intelligence. The report provided several recommendations regarding development of protocols involving more specific policy guidelines for psychological testing, revision of ‘re-sit’ procedures, the construction of more detailed and expanded risk profile methodologies and risk matrix and consideration of how best to support QPS occupational psychologists to fully engage with all applicants whose profiles necessitate follow-up psychological interviews.

Chief Investigator: Dr Jacqueline Drew

Expert Report provided to Queensland Police Service, Australia.

Dr Jacqueline Drew was commissioned to deliver an expert report to the Professional Development Unit (PDU), Queensland Police Service (QPS). Dr Drew reviewed and analysed relevant empirical literature and drew on this evidence base, to articulate a set of best practice principles and guidelines focused on leadership development in policing. The expert report formed part of a broader review being undertaken of leadership development in the QPS. The report and its recommendations were provided to assist PDU to evaluate their existing leadership development offerings. The report provided a basis on which PDU could pursue best practice uplift of leadership development and undertake benchmarking assessments.