Trauma Processing Techniques for New Police Recruits: Feasibility and Proof of Concept Study

Can Police Be Trained in Trauma Processing to Minimise PTSD Symptoms? A Feasibility and Proof-of-Concept Study

Summary

This study examined whether neuropsychological trauma-processing techniques based on spatial and episodic memory can be taught effectively to new police recruits. Seventy-one student officers from Greater Manchester Police participated in sessions involving mapping, timelines and identifying safety cues after difficult incidents. The techniques were shown to be teachable, usable and immediately helpful. Officers reported increased ease with challenging memories, improved recall and a greater sense of perspective.

Top finding: Training significantly increased officers’ ease with difficult or traumatic incidents, with no participants reporting any negative effects.

Why is it important?

New officers are exposed to trauma early and frequently, often with little time or support to process these experiences. Trauma processing techniques offer a practical, preventative approach that may strengthen resilience, reduce emotional burden, support accurate memory recall and help recruits manage the demands of frontline police work.

Focus of research

Determine whether trauma processing skills can be effectively taught within a police training environment
Assess immediate emotional and cognitive benefits of the techniques
Explore individual differences in technique use and response
Build evidence to inform larger-scale trials and integration into national training programmes

Background

PTSD and Complex PTSD affect a significant proportion of UK officers
High trauma exposure begins from the earliest stages of a policing career
Neuropsychological research shows the importance of spatial and episodic processing in recovering from traumatic events
Techniques such as mapping, overhead views and timelines mirror natural trauma-processing mechanisms
Similar approaches have shown benefits in military and clinical contexts

How research is/was conducted (Methodology)

Participants: 71 newly recruited Greater Manchester Police officers
Trial design: Three training sessions for the trial group; a shorter structured session for the control group
Exercises included:
- Free-style and structured mapping of incidents
- Rewound and forward looking timelines
- Identifying the moment an incident felt safe again (safety cues)
Measures captured:
- Ease of feeling before and after techniques
- New information recalled
- Spatial-perspective shifting
- Monthly trauma-impact scores (PCL-5)
Demographics and prior trauma history were monitored to assess individual differences

Partners and Funding

Delivered by the University of Cambridge in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, Dorset Police and Police Care UK.
Supported by the Police Federation of England & Wales, College of Policing, Chief Medical Officers and wellbeing specialists.
Funded by Police Care UK.

Timeline

March 2018: Participant recruitment and baseline screening
May 2018: First training session delivered to GMP recruits
August 2018: Refresher training
February 2019: Control-group session
March 2018 – February 2019: Monthly monitoring and data analysis
2019: Publication

Results

Officers felt significantly more at ease with their chosen incident after applying the techniques
Improved memory recall and reduced emotional charge were reported across both groups
Officers described greater objectivity, wider context and a clearer sense of the incident being “in the past”
Age and previous trauma influenced how easily officers could shift spatial perspective
Despite individual differences, the techniques were beneficial to all participants
Over half of officers said they would remember to use the techniques in future incidents and would recommend them to peers
Analysis of monthly monitoring showed comparable trauma levels across groups, indicating a need for larger trials to measure long-term effects
Themes in early trauma exposure among recruits included death, suicide, extreme violence and road traffic collisions