Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020)
Two recent surveys have reported widely differing prevalence rates for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the U.K. police force. Stevelink et al. (2020) reported a rate of 3.9% whereas a survey conducted for the charity Police Care UK reported a rate of 20.6%. In this comment we discuss how...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9122220/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1818255426796388352 |
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| author | Chris R. Brewin Jessica K. Miller Brendan Burchell |
| author_facet | Chris R. Brewin Jessica K. Miller Brendan Burchell |
| author_sort | Chris R. Brewin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two recent surveys have reported widely differing prevalence rates for
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the U.K. police force. Stevelink et
al. (2020) reported a rate of 3.9% whereas a survey conducted for the charity
Police Care UK reported a rate of 20.6%. In this comment we discuss how
definitions and methodological factors can impact prevalence rates. We consider
a number of possible reasons for the discrepancy between the surveys, and
conclude that it is most likely a method artefact. Stevelink et al.’s survey
reported the prevalence of recent-onset DSM-IV PTSD only, whereas the Police
Care UK survey reported the total ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD prevalence,
regardless of when in the person’s career the traumatic events occurred.
Analysing the Police Care UK data using Stevelink et al.’s procedures produced
practically identical prevalence rates, suggesting that the discrepancy was
apparent rather than real. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T17:11:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3950ad6323644f08ba1327d41dc963ef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T17:11:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-3950ad6323644f08ba1327d41dc963ef2022-12-22T00:17:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01175Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020)Chris R. BrewinJessica K. MillerBrendan BurchellTwo recent surveys have reported widely differing prevalence rates for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the U.K. police force. Stevelink et al. (2020) reported a rate of 3.9% whereas a survey conducted for the charity Police Care UK reported a rate of 20.6%. In this comment we discuss how definitions and methodological factors can impact prevalence rates. We consider a number of possible reasons for the discrepancy between the surveys, and conclude that it is most likely a method artefact. Stevelink et al.’s survey reported the prevalence of recent-onset DSM-IV PTSD only, whereas the Police Care UK survey reported the total ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD prevalence, regardless of when in the person’s career the traumatic events occurred. Analysing the Police Care UK data using Stevelink et al.’s procedures produced practically identical prevalence rates, suggesting that the discrepancy was apparent rather than real.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9122220/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Chris R. Brewin Jessica K. Miller Brendan Burchell Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) PLoS ONE |
| title | Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) |
| title_full | Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) |
| title_fullStr | Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) |
| title_short | Estimating the total prevalence of PTSD among the UK police force: Formal comment on Stevelink et al. (2020) |
| title_sort | estimating the total prevalence of ptsd among the uk police force formal comment on stevelink et al 2020 |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9122220/?tool=EBI |
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