Motivational interviewing: Improving the delivery of psychological services to law enforcement

Abstract

Law enforcement officers are a high-risk population for the development of several debilitating mental and physical health problems, increasing the need for effective psychological interventions. This article reviews: (a) mental health problems that police officers are at risk of developing, (b) factors in the law enforcement profession that increase the need for mental health services for officers, (c) the current state of psychological interventions with law enforcement personnel, and (d) how the empirically supported technique of motivational interviewing (MI) may improve the overall success of the psychological treatments most widely used with this population. MI is an interview delivery style that has been shown to be highly successful with treatment-resistant populations. We propose that the incorporation of MI into current mental health services for law enforcement officers may help to reduce their resistance to change, particularly in those mandated for treatment, thus increasing the benefits of the intervention. We also suggest that future research examining the value of MI specifically for law enforcement professionals is warranted.