More Toronto police officers than ever seeking help, TPS psychologist says

The number of Toronto police officers seeking psychological help has more than doubled in the past two years, according to a report presented to the Toronto Police Services Board Thursday.

Two staff psychologists at the Toronto Police Service, who presented the report, attributed the increase to a greater awareness that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, and that the stigma surrounding mental illness is not as pervasive as it has been in the past.

"There's a recognition that this job can take a toll on just about anyone," TPS psychologist Catherine Martin-Doto told the board. "This is a very challenging time to be a police officer in this city."

PTSD, suicidal thoughts among problems reported

A motion to hire a third staff psychologist to help cope with the demand was dropped just before Thursday's meeting. Instead, the board voted to ask Chief Mark Saunders for a detailed breakdown of what psychological services the TPS needs toprovide.

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The report,which Mayor John Tory described as "one of the most important ones that we've seen," said 12.7 per cent of the the city's roughly 5,600 police officers sought counselling in 2015, which is in line with what other North American police forces are experiencing.

The report says officers sought help for a variety of reasons: Suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the pressures of dealing with life-and-death situations.

'A very busy place'

Currently the TPS employs two staff psychologists Martin-Doto, and Carol Vipari.

In 2008, when she joined the TPS, Martin-Doto said there was "a strange reluctance that I observed from people within the service to actually step over the threshold of our office door in psychological services.

"Our office is now a very busy place."

The report said some of the programs now offered by psychological services came as a result of recommendations from an inquiry ordered by former chief Bill Blair, about a month after the shooting death of Sammy Yatim by Const. James Forcillo in the summer of 2013.

That investigation, led by former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci, made scores of recommendations aimed at changing the way police interact with people in emotional distress.

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However, Vipari said her department is in dire need of help if it is to keep up with the increased demand for its services.

"There are two of us and only so many hours in the day. And we are struggling to meet the demands of the existing programs and services," she said.

Aside from the two staff psychologists, the TPS also employs an outside counselling service.