From: "Charles Parker", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Police Review 15/9/2000 'Nearly one in 10 superintendents has suffered from psychiatric illness' BY SEAN HOWE NEARLY one in 10 superintendents who took part in a new health survey claims to have suffered from a psychiatric illness in the past five years. And nearly one in five males who responded are displaying high levels of anxiety. So high that, according to the doctor who has overseen the study, they 'definitely need some help and treatment'. Dr John Deighton, a former chairman of the Medical Advisers to Police Forces, was due to reveal the results formally at this week�s Superintendents� Association conference in Newport, Wales. Dr Deighton has overseen what he believes to be the first occupational health survey of superintendents throughout England and Wales as part of the association�s ongoing work into command resilience. Superintendents were asked to complete a questionnaire and Dr Deighton explained that he had studied 800 responses � two-thirds of the association � which, he said 'has given very accurate results'. Four out of 10 men who returned questionnaires were found to be displaying mild to high anxiety scores, with nearly one in five in the high category, said Dr Deighton. To be in the high category, he claimed, means that 'I definitely wouldn�t want them making decisions, for example, about firearms. They should definitely be receiving treatment'. Dr Deighton said if the figures were compared with a snapshot of the population at large, he would not have expected to see as many as 40 per cent of people needing assessment for their anxiety. 'Forty per cent at any one time is high', he said. Figures for the women who responded showed the opposite result, Dr Deighton explained, although he pointed out that he had received fewer responses from women and this could affect the figures. With regard to the history of psychological illness, Dr Deighton said the results were a 'titchy bit high' but given the five-year time span, 'I�m not losing sleep on that'. Dr Delghton, who has spent 16 years as a police surgeon for Greater Manchester and has been involved in occupational health since 1986, said the results did not indicate that superintendents were 'at a critical stage' in terms of anxiety levels. 'It Is above average', he said. 'If it was critical, I would be seeing lots of burn-out but it is not showing up in the scoring. 'I have a lot of concern over workload, hours and anxiety levels he admitted. 'People are getting into the rank younger, and with hours and workload being as they are seen (in the survey] are they going to last?' ------------ And these the guys that may be asking our GP's about our medical history? -- I think Brian MacKenzie may be one of the ex-supers suffering from psychiatric illness after the Police Federation get through with him for sticking the knife in on national TV tonight. I think he may have taken his Government stooge ways a bit too far! Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
