Can you join the police force if you have a psychiatric history?

C

Cracked Pepper

New member
My brother is looking to join the police force however he does have a history of mental illness. He has however become stabilised successfully through treatment and is a very productive person.

Has anyone had any experience applying for the police force with a diagnosed mental illness? If so, how did this affect the application process?

Also, is there a sliding scale when mental health is assessed? For example are some diagnosis considered more inappropriate or risky than others?
(eg psychotic disorders or personality disorders higher risk than mood disorders)??
-or-
Is it simply assessed on an individual case by case basis? If so, I would like more info about this.

Thanks for answering :-)
 
I have no idea, but I would wonder if the police force would be good for his mental health as much as vice versa. Police have to deal with a lot of difficult situations: seeing the worst of people's behavior, dealing with unspeakable things such as violence on children, gore and death, etc. Even though things are under control, these situations would be taxing on people who didn't already have mental health issues.

I've heard that police have high rates of drug and alcohol abuse and suicide because of the nature of the job.
 
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