Thursday 2nd February 2017 is Time to Talk Day, an initiative by Time To Change dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness. This is something that many of our members can identify with – anxiety and depression are commonplace amongst police officers and staff on the autism spectrum, in part due to the stress caused by trying to fit into a workplace culture that demands conformity. As with mental illness, there is still a stigma around autism and related hidden conditions in policing, which the NPAA is working hard to overcome.

We’d like to share a blog by Black Dog Cop, a serving police officer who writes with power and eloquence about living with depression and anxiety. Research by BBC News in 2016 reveals that cases of UK police officers and staff taking long-term sick leave for psychological reasons have risen by 35% over the last five years.

Time To Change is led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.