Les taux de suicide sont généralement plus élevés dans les forces de l’ordre qu’au sein d’autres professions. Pour en comprendre les raisons, les objectifs de cette étude réalisée à partir d’un échantillon de policiers décédés par suicide étaient : (1) de déterminer les facteurs impliqués dans le passage à l’acte suicidaire ; (2) de décrire leur trajectoire de vie. Des autopsies psychologiques ont été conduites autour des 49 situations de suicide de policiers survenues en 2008. Le supérieur hiérarchique, un collègue de travail et un proche ont été interrogés par des psychologues formés, en utilisant des outils standardisés. Chaque dossier a ensuite été évalué par un panel d’experts. L’analyse a montré que tous les policiers ayant mis fin à leurs jours présentaient les symptômes d’un trouble mental, le plus souvent de type dépressif. Après les difficultés d’ordre psychologique, les principaux facteurs de vulnérabilité concernaient la sphère affective. La sphère professionnelle était source de vulnérabilité dans une moindre mesure, mais était également source de protection. Quatre types de trajectoires de vie impliquées dans la suicidalité ont été mis en évidence. L’ensemble de ces résultats confirme que la prévention ne peut reposer que sur le dépistage de la souffrance psychologique et sa prise en charge, qui doit inclure une approche globale, en tenant compte de l’ensemble des sources de vulnérabilités.

Research indicates that suicide rates are high among members of law enforcement. Our objectives were: (1) to determine life events implicated in suicide mortality among French law enforcement; and (2) to describe the different life trajectories of police officers who deceased by suicide.

All suicides of police officers which occurred during 2008 (n=49) were explored using the psychological autopsy method. Key informants were: a supervisor, a colleague and a member of the family or a close friend. Each of them were interviewed by trained psychologists using standardized questionnaires exploring: sociodemographic characteristics, life events, social integration and support, health service use, mental health with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview short form (CIDI-SF), occupational stress with the Spielberger Inventory, impulsiveness with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and aggressiveness with the Brown-Goodwin Lifetime Aggression Scale. Information was then summarized in a timetable life trajectory of all life areas. All cases were finally appraised by at least two experts in order to identify the determinants of the suicide and to determine psychiatric diagnoses. For each period of time, a burdensomeness score was determined, from 6 (no adversity) to 1 (adversities in each sphere of life).

Of the 49 cases of suicide, two were excluded and 39 were investigated and appraised (response rate: 39/47=83%). Eighty-two percent of the suicide cases were men and the mean age at death was 35years. In more than half of the cases, police officers used their service weapon to commit suicide. All deceased police officers were suffering from mental health symptoms (primarily depression). Of them, two thirds had used healthcare for this distress. The main other cause of suicide was problems in the married life (70% of the cases). Four distinct types of life trajectories of adversities could be identified by a qualitative analysis.

It is the first time such a study was performed in France, and results are concordant with those of the literature. This study showed that all deceased police officers were suffering from mental disorders and that there was not one single profile of life trajectory: screening and support of police officers in distress need to be prioritized. Moreover, results suggested that the availability of the service weapon during off-duty periods should be reconsidered. This study helped the Home ministry to elaborate and improve strategies to prevent suicide among police officers.