Suicide Among German Federal and State Police Officers

Most American studies report higher police officer suicide rates in comparison to age-matched populations. In the Federal Republic of Germany police organizations are comprised of Federal Customs, 16 state police, and 2 federal police organizations. A survey carried out in 1997 yielded higher suicide rates for police officers also in Germany in comparison to rates of the comparable age group (25 per 100,000 vs 20 per 100,000). The most commonly used suicide method was firearms (66-71%). Hypotheses often attribute this high suicidality among police officers to higher work stress than in other professions. Other hypotheses implicate individual variables such as psychiatric illnesses, alcoholism, and interpersonal and marital problems. A transactional model might explain these different views.