Occupational trauma and probable PTSD among sworn and civilian police employees.

Background: Police personnel are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), increasing their risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While much research has focused on sworn police officers (SPOs), less is known about civilian employees (Civilians) who work alongside them. This study examined trauma exposure and probable PTSD in both groups within the Norwegian Police Service (NPS).Methods: A random sample of 4,000 employees received an invitation to a web-based survey in 2021, of which 560 responded (61.8% SPOs, 38.2% Civilians). Trauma exposure was assessed with the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), and probable PTSD was measured with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Logistic regression analyses examined group differences in trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates.Results: SPOs reported significantly greater overall lifetime trauma exposure than Civilians (87.3% vs. 69.2%) and substantially higher occupational trauma exposure (72.0% vs. 21.5%). Probable PTSD was 5.6% among civilians and 2.6% among sworn officers; the crude group difference was not statistically significant (OR = 0.45, 95% CI [0.19, 1.09]). However, after adjusting for different trauma exposure indicators, the association reversed and became statistically significant (adjusted ORs = 0.12-0.16), consistent with a suppressor effect whereby the higher exposure among sworn officers masked their relatively lower risk of PTSD.Discussion: This is the first study to directly compare trauma exposure and probable PTSD among SPOs and Civilians in the NPS. While SPOs reported markedly higher trauma exposure, Civilians also faced substantial risks despite lower levels of direct occupational trauma. PTSD prevalence in both groups was lower than commonly reported in international police samples and broadly comparable to estimates from the Norwegian general population. Nevertheless, the high levels of trauma exposure underline that posttraumatic symptoms remain an important occupational health concern.