Problematic alcohol consumption by police officers and other protective service employees: A comparative analysis

Purpose mine differences between members of protective service occupations (PSOs) and other occupational groups on indicators of alcohol use/abuse and mental health. s et of 25,622 observations from the 2009 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) are used to evaluate whether PSO members exhibit a higher likelihood of problematic drinking behaviors and if so, whether these behaviors are mediated by mental health problems. s ic regression models indicated that PSO members do not consume alcohol more frequently nor do they exhibit higher likelihood of alcohol abuse/dependency when compared to members of other occupational groups. However, PSO members report higher occurrence of binge drinking. The relationship between PSOs and binge drinking behaviors is mediated by gender, not mental health problems. sion sults provide direction for the development of evidence-based alcohol related intervention programs that address the specific needs of police officers and other public servants.