Background
The current study aims to better understand the mental health and subjective well-being of investigators and forensic examiners exposed to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by examining which components of this work are associated with elevated mental health conditions and decreased well-being, as well as the intra-personal and organizational variables that may mitigate harm and improve well-being.
Methods
Police investigators, forensic examiners, and others connected with the criminal justice system from across the United States who were exposed to CSAM as part of their professions (N = 500) completed an anonymous online survey. Participants were recruited through connections with the National Criminal Justice Training Center.
Results
Duration, frequency, amount, and content of CSAM exposure was not related to poorer mental health with the exception of exposure to violent CSAM which was related to elevated post-traumatic stress symptoms. Several agency-level practices and policies, such as the availability of an Officer Wellness Program and more frequently knowing the final case resolution, were related to better mental health and well-being. Harm mitigation strategies, such as talking to other officers investigating the case and taking breaks from the material being viewed, were also related to better mental health.
Conclusions
Findings indicate that police agencies have options for implementing agency-level procedures and practices that have the potential to reduce the negative impact of CSAM investigations. Additionally, many investigators use strategies that are correlated with greater well-being, suggesting opportunities for improving training programs.
Findings from this paper support the idea that where there is stress, there is resilience. Although CSAM investigators have stressful work in which they are frequently exposed to a great amount of extreme content, such exposure is, for the most part, not related to mental health conditions among these investigators. Different agency-level factors and personal strategies used to regulate the stress associated with the work are related to lower levels of mental health conditions and increased well-being.
Read more: Mitchell, K.J., Gewirtz-Meydan, A., Finkelhor, D. et al. The mental health of officials who regularly examine child sexual abuse material: strategies for harm mitigation. BMC Psychiatry 23, 940 (2023).
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