TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Twenty-two police officers have committed suicide in Taiwan over the last four years, and officials have described mental health care services in the police force as seriously lacking.
Members of the Control Yuan presented a report with the figures on Tuesday (Jan. 16) that also strongly criticized the interior ministry and called for urgent improvements, per CNA. Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) and Chen Ching-chun (陳景峻) of the government auditing agency described a report that found mental health education and training in the police force is little more than a formality, and suicide prevention treatments have not been implemented.
The report also found that those committing suicide in the police force are getting younger. In 2021, four officers aged between 20 and 29 committed suicide while on duty with police-issued guns.
The Control Yuan members said that it is estimated that 10,000 police officers are “emotionally distressed,” and 6,000 experience suicidal ideation. The annual funding allocated to address this problem totals NT$3.7 million (about US$117,000) and covers 300-600 staff, which was described as “seriously insufficient.”
In 1992, the police department established a mental health service named “Teacher Guan (關老師),” which the report described as structurally ineffective. It said that the service was underfunded, and staffed by non-professionals, whose roles within the force created conflict of interest problems.
The report also found that the organizational culture among the force prevented staff with mental health issues from seeking help, for fear of stigmatization and the impact it would have on their careers. Despite the force increasing the use of outsourced psychological services, the report found that the uptake is low, and recommended immediate improvements.
The police department requires senior staff to promote mental health awareness among their subordinates, though this training was found to be ineffective and treated as a formality. The report recommended the police force consult with the health ministry and the National Suicide Prevention Center to quickly develop training and expertise.
