The contradiction of police acknowledgment of mental illness among its ranks

8th December 2025Prof Chris Schneider, Brandon University

Canadian policing faces a challenging contradiction around its response to mental illness, according to new research by Brandon University’s Professor Christopher J. Schneider and Assistant Professor Ania Theuer, and Professor Stacey Hannem of Wilfrid Laurier University, who argue that law enforcement’s framing of officers’ mental health struggles as “occupational stress injuries” contrasts sharply with the stigmatizing approach to the risks posed by mentally ill members of the public.

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The contradiction of police acknowledgment of mental illness among its ranks

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