Spirituality and Police Suicide: a Double-Edged Sword (In: Suicide and Law Enforcement, edited by D C Sheeehan & J I Warren)

This chapter addresses the spiritual dimensions of police suicides. Spirituality is a two-edged sword: while it can be an asset in dealing with the problem, it also can be viewed as suspect. Both suicide & spirituality are emotionally charged issues, begging to be addressed in conjunction. This chapter explores the issues within the law enforcement profession that may have a co-relationship to the prevalence of suicide among police officers. An authentic spiritual perspective on these issues may help officers who might be at risk for attempting suicide. JA