Northern RCMP not immune to stress disorder

RCMP officers stationed in Canada's North are just assusceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder as Mountiesin other parts ofthe country, according to some in the national police force.

Police statistics obtained by CBC News show the number of Mounties on disability for PTSD has risen significantly over the past 10 years.

The tragic shooting deaths in 2007 of Const. Christopher Worden in Hay River, N.W.T., and Const. Douglas Scott in Kimmirut, Nunavut, have highlighted the dangers police officers face in the line of duty, but some say officers can develop PTSD even from the day-to-day stresses associated with their jobs.

"I've been to a triple-murder-suicide where three young children were killed, and, I mean, that in itself took its toll," said Ken Morrison, who worked as a forensic investigator in the North for eight years.

"I think the [cases involving] young children often are the toughest, especially when you're raising your own."

Isolation a factor

Morrison now works as the staff relations representative for the RCMP's G Division in the Northwest Territories, based in Yellowknife.

He said talking with other officers was his strategy for coping with the stresses of policing, butthat's not always anoption for officers workingin smaller, isolated communities.

"The toughest part, a large [part of the] time, was you were doing work on your own; often, you were by yourself," Morrison said.

Inuvik, N.W.T., Staff Sgt. Cliff McKay said the North presents particular challenges for officers who are new to the region, citing factors such as cultural differences, isolation, and long winters.

"It can be awfully cold and dark for long periods of time here, and that can certainly cause anybody that has never been exposed to that some real difficulties," McKaysaid.

Stressmight show uplater

The number of RCMP officers diagnosed with PTSD in the northern territories are no higher than in the rest of Canada, said Murray Brown, a staff relations representative in Nova Scotia.

He saidaffected officers might not even show signs ofPTSD until after they leave the North.

"The member often is taken out of there because of issues, or is due to come out of there, and the 'crash' takes place in their new receiving division," he said.

McKay said some officers might be reluctant to report any signs of stress because they fear they might get passed over for promotion opportunities.

At the same time, the health of RCMP officers and their families is of paramount importance to the police force, he added.