Cumulative career traumatic stress (CCTS) is a condition where an individual continually experiences traumatic symptoms due to the nature of their career or working environment. CCTS could be compared to post traumatic stress disorder only that for PTSD, the individual encounters a single traumatic event that results in trauma symptoms while for CCTS the traumatic events are sporadic. As a significant mental health issue, it is necessary to focus on CCTS and identify how it affects law enforcement officers.
CCTS is often prevalent in law enforcement officers are their career usually exposes them to traumatic events. It means that these officers will experience traumatic symptoms such as intrusive thoughts or memories throughout their careers ( Marshall, 2006) . The condition can affect officers in numerous ways while on the job and when they retire. These effects include the development of psychological problems such as anxiety which may eventually evolve into depression. It may result in impaired job performance because these officers will be affected by encounters in their environments that remind them of the traumatic events or because of the continued re-experiencing of these events. Other problems include marital and family problems and a decline in their physical health. The condition may result from various traumatic experiences for officers.
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Law enforcement officer encounter events that will cause CCTS. They include hostage situations, cases that include serious injuries or death, fatal accidents or dangerous drug bust situations ( Marshall, 2006) . The condition continues to affect many law enforcement officers and needs to be addressed urgently. It can be managed and treated through effective trauma therapy for officer. The therapy can be in-patient or out-patient depending on the severity of the condition. There is also need for support groups and support services for when the officers complete their treatment. A combination of education, trauma therapy and support services will ensure that these officers understand the condition and get exposure to treatment opportunities that will help them recover.
Reference
Marshall, E. K. (2006). Cumulative career traumatic stress (CCTS): a pilot study of traumatic stress in law enforcement. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology , 21 (1), 62-71.
