As this edition of Police News went to print, the country had just commemorated Anzac Day – 102 years after that tragic and nation-defining event for New Zealand and Australia.

From the trenches, gullies and ridges of the Gallipoli coast, young men and women learnt about comradeship, respect, determination, identity and the meaning of the ultimate sacrifice.

Those who made it home brought back those qualities, but many also returned with the all-too-often hidden costs of what they had experienced.

Today we call that post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI), and it has plagued those who have fought in subsequent wars, right through to contemporary times.

We now recognise there can be psychological reactions to experiencing or witnessing significant trauma or shocking events. There is a concerted public and private effort to confront the very real issues of mental health throughout our society, because individuals and families have for too long borne the hidden scars of trauma, or been ridiculed.

As first responders, many of our members are regularly exposed to events which can trigger mental health and wellbeing risks. The effect of PTSI on the health and welfare of Association members and their families is a key concern for us, and it goes to the very core of what we are as an organisation.

Police has systems in place to ensure staff are referred for psychological help after experiencing serious traumatic events. There is also access to regular checks for staff working in “at risk” teams because PTSI can manifest over time, sometimes going  unrecognised, or even deliberately ignored.

As your Association, we will continue to highlight this issue and promote open discussion to assist in recognition of the symptoms in ourselves, our colleagues and our family members.

Don’t forget, police are involved in more than 100 mental health callouts every day, so the skills we develop for ourselves will ultimately assist the communities we serve.

Later this year, we plan to launch a self-help guide with strategies for dealing with PTSI and other mental health issues.

In the meantime, find a copy of Kevin Gilmartin’s excellent book Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement. The Association has distributed several copies to committees. If you can’t find one somewhere in your station, we still have some available on request. It is worth the read for you and your family, and then pass it on to a colleague.

The first step towards dealing with a problem is to understand it. Read more about mental health, and talk about it. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.