That same day, he took his life.

But in February 2016, they started to show, she said. He was anxious that he’d be hurt or killed on duty. Later that month, the 44-year-old trooper skipped his annual physical, afraid he’d lose his job if the agency learned he was struggling psychologically, Molly O’Neil said.

Massachusetts State Trooper Chris O’Neil did not speak about what he saw at work, his wife, Molly, said. He kept those burdens to himself.

“He was talking about, if I go into this appointment today and they catch that I’m anxious, they’ll take me off the road,” she said, sitting in the living room of the Franklin home they used to share. “He really thought they could come take his uniform.”

O’Neil’s death represents a crisis that continues to trouble the law enforcement profession, according to a recent survey by the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission: Despite years of state and local efforts to bolster psychological support for police, many officers remain reluctant to use those services. It’s a potentially lethal problem in a profession where exposure to traumatic violence is common and a culture of shame and silence makes seeking help a personal and professional risk, advocates and researchers said.

O’Neil is one of more than 900 law enforcement officers across the country who have died by suicide since 2019, according to First H.E.L.P., an Auburn-based advocacy group for first responders’ mental health.

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POST surveyed 59 police unions across the state, asking about their members’ behavioral health. Nearly half said their officers did not feel comfortable seeking help; 24 percent reported moderate comfort; 17 percent high comfort; and 14 percent were unsure.

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Overwhelmingly, the unions said that stigma around mental illness and fear of career consequences were the biggest barriers to officers using mental health services. About 40 percent also expressed concern about POST, which certifies every officer in the state.

“Survey responses indicated that officers are hesitant to seek behavioral health services, in part, due to fear of certification consequences by the Commission,” the survey authors wrote.

The POST Commission will not deny recertification to officers based on a psychological or physical exam, according to agency spokesperson Alia Spring. Rather, she wrote in response to a Globe inquiry, the commission seeks to help agencies support their officers’ well-being.

“Supporting the health of police officers is critical given the hazards associated with the profession,” POST Commission executive director Enrique Zuniga said in a statement. “The survey confirms the existence and utilization of important programs, underscores the fact that multiple parties play a role in this effort, and provides some initial insights as to the opportunities to further the goal of enhancing physical and behavioral health.”

Police departments in Massachusetts provide officers with a variety of mental health supports, including employee assistance programs, peer support teams, and confidential counseling, said Michael J. Bradley Jr., executive director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. The association also encourages agencies to reduce stigma by openly discussing mental health, ensuring confidentiality in support services, and training officers to recognize signs of stress in themselves and their colleagues.

“While we recognize the progress being made, we also understand that stigma remains a significant barrier for officers seeking these vital services, much like it does in the general population,” Bradley wrote in a statement. “Our organization is committed to fostering a cultural shift that encourages seeking help and supports officers in making their mental health a priority.”

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Law enforcement officers are 54 percent more likely to die by suicide than workers in other occupations, according to a 2020 study by researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Detectives, criminal investigators, and patrol officers were most at risk. Other personnel, such as corrections officers and supervisors, had lower but still elevated suicide rates.

Molly O’Neil, whose husband was a state trooper who died by suicide, photographed in her home. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

For the O’Neil family, those statistics became a shattering reality on Feb. 25, 2016. When Chris O’Neil didn’t come home after his shift, his wife called every hospital she could think of, she said, asking if a trooper was in their emergency room.

At 9:30 p.m., she looked out of her bedroom window and saw headlights. She thought it was her husband, home late. Instead, it was a close family friend, a fellow trooper, at her door with awful news.

“I remember falling. I remember losing my breath. I remember thinking, oh, shit, the kids are home,” O’Neil said. “What are they going to do?”

State lawmakers have attempted to address police mental health before. In 2018, the Legislature passed a bill guaranteeing confidentiality when first responders speak to peer counselors.

Senator Michael Moore, a cosponsor of that legislation, said the persistence of mental health stigma is troubling, both for officers and the communities they serve. He said individual agencies must make sure their officers have access to the care they need.

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“If we’re going to have a healthy workforce, we need the employers, which are our municipalities, to buy in,” Moore said.

Senator John Velis, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who serves on a special state commission studying post-traumatic stress disorder, said that what made the difference in his Army unit was when on-the-ground commanders spoke openly about mental health and assured their soldiers they would not face consequences for seeking help. Police chiefs should consider doing the same with their officers, he said.

“In my experience, whether it’s substance use disorders, my own struggles with addiction, or any of the other conditions out there, you talk about it. You talk about it, over and over again,” Velis said.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, said local chiefs have a decisive role to play in combating that stigma.

“You need leadership, you need policy, and you need a firewall between getting help and knowing it won’t hurt you professionally,” Wexler said.

But a Globe review of state administrative law records found officers can also face dismissal, skepticism, and financial consequences when mental illness renders them unable to work.

In 2020, a Saugus police officer tried to retire on accidental disability due to post-traumatic stress disorder after he responded to a car crash where a 9-year-old child was hurt, but the town’s retirement board denied his claim without convening a medical panel.

In 2021, the Middlesex County Retirement System did the same to a Tewksbury officer who said he was disabled by PTSD from years of responding to violent crimes.

And the Lawrence retirement board denied a disability claim in 2023 for an officer who said he developed PTSD after performing CPR on a shooting victim and seeing video of a close friend on the force being run over by a car.

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Administrative law judges reversed all three decisions; the latest decision, in the Lawrence case, came on March 21.

One problem is that state law requires officers to file on-the-job disability retirement within two years of their injury, said Leigh Panettiere, an attorney who has represented officers in hundreds of psychological disability cases. That limit does not work for PTSD, which can become disabling years or decades after an initial trauma, Panettiere said.

“People don’t necessarily know when they’ve hit their breaking point,” she said.

Senator Michael Brady and Representative Kenneth Gordon have filed legislation to eliminate that limit for emotional and psychological injuries. That law would help officers who often struggle through years of doubt and professional anxiety before admitting they need psychological help, Panettiere said.

“There really is a stigma,” she said.

Last week, Molly O’Neil sat in her living room, absently petting her goldendoodle, Buddy. A framed photo of her family rested behind a fireplace grating: she and Chris, with their arms on their children, Conor and Charlotte.

Maybe, she said, Chris would still be here, if not for stigma. If the State Police leadership at the time had offered more support and told O’Neil where he could go for help.

“To me, this never would have happened if we had information,” she said.

If there’s anything that police unions and public officials ought to be able to agree on, it’s that officers who need help should have ready access to confidential counseling and services without fear of adverse impact on their careers. Study after study has shown that the stresses on first responders generally, but police in particular, continue to take their toll on lives — on careers, on marriages — with no end in sight.

It was the first memorial of its kind in the nation “recognizing, remembering, and honoring police officers who have died by suicide.” And sadly there was another star added last year for Andrew O’Connor , 42, who had joined the force in 2021, serving most of that time in East Boston.

In 2020 the Boston Police Foundation unveiled a special memorial wall at police headquarters with 13 plaques representing officers who had died by suicide in the 25 years before that. And in the next spot a poignant message: “May there never be another.”

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Suicides are, of course, the worst manifestation of the result of those stresses.

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Police and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than be killed in the line of duty, according to a 2022 study by the Ruderman Family Foundation.

But there are also the walking wounded among police, who abuse alcohol or drugs, whose behavior often goes unnoticed until there’s a crash that can’t be ignored.

“Police officers have a higher risk than the general population of developing stress-related health problems, such as flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, and avoidance behaviors,” a study in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology found.

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But the stigma of seeking help to deal with mental health issues still keeps many from doing so. Some of that reluctance is the cultural stigma within the ranks of police, but also what mental health professionals call self-stigma, that internalized “shame” experienced by too many in need of help.

A recent survey by the state’s Police Officer Standards and Training Commission of 60 police unions found most reported their officers (27 percent) did not feel comfortable accessing behavioral health resources or services. Another 24 percent of officers had a “moderate” level of comfort.

But when the survey turned its attention to barriers to seeking treatment, the top one was stigma (49 percent) — a figure that closely tracks national numbers. That was followed closely by “fear of adverse employment outcomes” (43 percent), along with time (29 percent), and fears about attracting the attention of the POST Commission itself, which certifies officers.

Addressing those fears, a POST spokesperson responded, “We do not envision declining recertification based solely on a physical or psychological exam for incumbent officers. We understand that a non-punitive approach to enhance wellness for all officers by finding ways to support their overall well-being can yield better outcomes. This could include working with agencies to adopt or enhance certain policies and providing information and/or training to officers about existing resources and best practices.”

Many of the critical resources currently available are part of collectively bargained benefits such as employee assistance programs or mandated “critical incident debriefing.” Boston, for example, has a peer support unit, which offers “critical incident stress management following traumatic incidents,” and a family assistance unit.

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The POST survey found some police unions still eager to bargain for periodic evaluations by a mental health provider or having a partnership with a provider coming in a close second.

A new report by the Police Executive Research Forum released last month promoted the notion that police-centered residential treatment centers should also be “part of a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan” — and yes, there are such things. Six of these facilities were featured in the report. But the report also noted that ensuring “access to confidential counseling services, wellness programs, and services” was also critical — along with the time off, including administrative leave — to take advantage of such programs.

And, it added, “Confidentiality is one of the most important considerations for police officers when deciding whether to seek treatment and where to receive care.”

The Massachusetts Legislature addressed that issue in 2018, guaranteeing first responders confidentiality when talking to peer counselors. But the POST survey indicates that certainly hasn’t been adequate to the problem and officers remain skeptical.

“American law enforcement officers are tired, working too many hours, and lacking time for proper nutrition and exercise. Equally concerning, officers are left emotionally raw by cumulative trauma and lack of rest after critical incidents,” noted Police1’s “What Cops Want in 2024” survey.

The PERF report concluded, “Although stigma is still a significant barrier to treatment, there are signs that the tightly woven culture of silence — the one that says police officers will lose their job if they ask for help — is starting to unravel. In its place, today’s police officers can boldly weave a new culture of openness and honesty, where trauma and its effects are normalized (it’s okay to not be okay) and seeking professional help is expected (but it’s not okay to stay that way).”

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That’s the ideal. Building that into the fabric of policing — one police contract at a time — is a worthwhile but timely project. Having POST set the tone for that conversation is a good place to start.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.

Photo: Unsplash / RNZ

Mental health patients in New Zealand face significantly worse experiences in primary healthcare compared to those without mental health conditions, according to a national study conducted by the University of Otago.

The study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, analysed responses from a Health Quality and Safety Commission survey that asked about people’s experiences with general practice services.

The findings revealed critical barriers to accessing care, with 26.8 percent of mental health patients unable to secure a GP appointment in the past year, compared to 19.6 percent of the general population.

Deep-rooted systemic issues

Photo: Supplied / University of Otago

Lead researcher Ruth Cunningham said the disparities reflected deep-rooted systemic issues, including stigma and the pressures on the healthcare system itself.

“When the system is under stress… our cognitive biases come through, and we’re even more likely to treat people differently because of those biases,” she said.

“In those cases… providers [need to] think about the experience that people with mental health conditions are having [at the doctor.. but [it] can become harder when the system is under stress.”

Cunningham emphasised the importance of medical professionals being aware of their biases and how these affect patient care.

“The way in which a diagnosis of mental health conditions, problematic substance or addiction, can get in the way of providing high-quality care is not something that is often talked about, but is a very important issue.”

Stigma also discourages patients from seeking care, Cunningham noted.

“Experiences of stigma and discrimination… understandably [lead people to] disconnect from the provider or they simply don’t go back.”

Connection and representation

The study highlighted that disparities were even more significant for Māori with mental health conditions, who consistently reported greater challenges in accessing care, feeling respected, and having their concerns heard by healthcare providers.

For instance, Māori with mental health conditions were 7.7 percent more likely than non-Māori to report difficulties in securing a GP appointment within the past year.

Cunningham pointed to the need for a more diverse healthcare workforce to improve patient-provider relationships.

“For Māori, the difference in care was exacerbated… even more adverse experiences of care,” she said.

“This is all about connection and relationships… and increasing Māori and Pasifika healthcare workforce representation. The patient needs to connect to their providers and, if that doesn’t happen, they might not come back to seek treatment.”

Despite the disparities, Cunningham said there were positive developments within the healthcare system.

“But we must continue to listen, address biases, and ensure care meets everyone’s needs. Even in a stressed system, treating people with kindness and respect remains essential.”

Kiara was just 14 years old when she found out she was almost six months pregnant with her first child.

Having previously had the pregnancy signs dismissed as being side effects of her contraception, Kiara described the revelation as “a massive shock”.

But when it came to deciding whether to follow through with her pregnancy, she felt an unrelenting determination.

A study from a Queensland university and charity found there were ways to overcome stigma surrounding young mums. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

Now 25 and a mother of two daughters, Kiara said that of the hardships young mothers face, societal stigma was at the forefront.

“Housing and Centrelink — yeah, they let me down too. But the big one is just general society. Just how I felt going to the supermarket or leaving my house,” she said.

The Tasmanian mum said that right “from the moment I found out I was pregnant”, there wasn’t enough support or positivity surrounding her situation.

” Nine people out of 10 — whether that be my teacher, the clerk behind the supermarket, the GP that I visited that day, or whether that be the housing worker I tried to visit, the way that I was treated for simply being young and pregnant is not OK. ”

Kiara says she’s done everything she can to overcome the obstacles facing her, to be a good mum to her children. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

From the day Kiara learned of her pregnancy, she was motivated to overcome every obstacle, providing for her daughter despite having little support herself.

“At 14 [or] 15, I had a unit … My child was fed, she was happy, and she was bathed. She went to playgroup … I was studying — I went to school on my due date.

“Those are all things that nobody realises when they see someone walking down the street.”

One mother said she’d received judgemental comments from strangers. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

Undermining comments and lingering stares are a shared experience for many young mums, four of whom spoke to the ABC.

Sharnya, who fell pregnant at 15, had strangers approach her to voice their attitudes.

” I had my son, we were in the mall, and I was giving him a bottle, and a lady came up [to us] and goes, ‘Oh, I hope that’s your nephew and not your kid.’ ”

Multiple young mothers told the ABC they’ve faced stigma for being a young parent. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

Gabrielle, who fell pregnant at 19, also said she felt she was treated differently as a young mum.

“I do see a lot of older people announce their pregnancies [on Facebook], and it’s filled with hundreds of thousands of ‘Congratulations,’ ‘You deserve it,’ You’re going to be such a good mum,'” she said.

“And I was met with, ‘Where’s the dad?’ ‘Are you sure you’re going to be able to look after it financially,’ ‘It’s going to be hard,’ ‘Are you getting an abortion?’ ‘Are you sure you want to keep the baby?’ ‘You’re so young, you’ve ruined your life.'”

Stigma also present in support services

Kiara says kindness can go a long way to making young mothers feel supported. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

Many of the young mothers also reported experiences of discrimination from healthcare workers.

“They wouldn’t let me have that first skin-to-skin bonding moment. Even though there [were] no health complications … They took my son and handed him straight to my mum,” said Sharnya.

Elise, who had her first child at 16, said she wasn’t taken seriously when seeking a diagnosis for her child with neurodivergence.

“Any concerns I had with my son in my teen years [were] always pushed aside.

” It was put down to inexperience or I was having trouble because of my age, and I should read more books. ”

Study shows some effects of stigma can be countered

Peta Ajkunic says BRAVE Foundation walks alongside young mothers, helping them build a village around them. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

This year, a research project from The University of the Sunshine Coast and charity A Brave Life investigated the psychological wellbeing of young mothers.

It found that stigma contributed to a reduction in help-seeking and confidence, caused isolation and significantly impacted mental health.

However, the same investigation also showed that with support, some of these impacts could be countered.

Challenges faced by young parents Photo shows Anton Gower showering with son Elijah Neilson-Gower. Young parents aren’t as common as they once were, but experts say supporting them is crucial to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage. The Brave Foundation is supporting Anton to change careers which he hopes will provide a more secure income.

It noted this included dedicated parenting programs and maximising opportunities for young mums to engage with other mums of similar and varied ages.

The investigation also highlighted that continued education was likely to provide social support, with flexible working and education needed.

BRAVE Foundation, a national not-for-profit organisation that supports and advocates for teen parents, including Kiara, contributes to countering the impacts of stigma by providing young mothers with mentoring and a “village” of support.

“We just walk alongside them, referring them out to community, building that village around each of our participants, and then really, they do the rest themselves,” Peta Ajkunic, Kiara’s mentor, said.

“We just celebrate the small wins, celebrate the big wins.

” Our biggest goal as a mentor is when we walk away and finish that 12-month program, we want our participants to be equipped to be able to reach out to supports and services when times do become tough. ”

‘Kindness goes a long way’

Kiara has her first child at age 14. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

The young mums who spoke to the ABC offered a simple solution to reducing stigma in society — be kind.

“If you got a same-aged kid, why not set up a play date and actually get to know the [mother] before you judge them?” Sharnya asked.

“It goes back to, you know, treat people how you want to be treated yourself … [Your age] doesn’t determine what type of parent you are,” Gabrielle added.

“It would have made all the difference to me to have somebody say, ‘What a beautiful baby,’ or ‘You’re doing such a great job’,” Elise said.

“They say smiling at somebody really makes their day and you don’t know that it does … It does. Kindness goes a long way.” Kiara said.

A police officer puts up crime scene tape on a sidewalk in Washington, D.C.

Police and investigators work at a crime scene in Washington, D.C., where two people were shot and killed in May 2025. Research suggests police officers experience about three traumatic events every six months — roughly 180 over a 30-year career — compared with just one over a lifetime for about half of U.S. adults. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Police officers may face hundreds of traumatic incidents over the course of their careers, but many still hesitate to seek mental health support when they need it.

Despite growing investments in wellness programs by law enforcement agencies across the country, a recent study of just over 100 surveyed officers from the Fargo Police Department in North Dakota found that stigma remains a major barrier to mental health care for officers.

The study found that 60% of surveyed officers said most of their peers wouldn’t disclose a mental health condition to a colleague, and nearly three-quarters believed officers wouldn’t tell a supervisor. Slightly more than half agreed that most officers would expect to face discrimination at work if they disclosed they were experiencing mental illness.

Carol Archbold, the study’s author and a criminal justice professor at North Dakota State University, said officers may avoid disclosing mental health struggles because doing so also conflicts with societal expectations that they remain strong and unemotional.

“The nature of [police officers’] work really, really makes it difficult and important for them to have services available and for them to actually utilize them,” Archbold told Stateline, adding that departments also need to foster a culture where officers feel comfortable using the support available to them.

Departments across the country have expanded access to services like counseling, peer support, therapy, substance use programs, and on-site gyms in response to growing concerns about post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, depression, and suicide among officers. The Fargo Police Department, for example, hired its first-ever health and wellness coordinator last year.

While the department offers a wide range of mental health-related services and programs, the study found that relatively few officers are using them.

Eighty-four percent of surveyed officers were aware of the department’s new health and wellness coordinator, but only 22 had interacted with them, and 19 found the interaction helpful. About 68% knew about the Employee Assistance Program; 20 had used it, with 17 reporting it was helpful. Awareness of the peer support program was higher at 93%, yet only 42 officers had used it, and 36 said it was helpful.

Still, stigma and fears about career repercussions may discourage some officers from using such services.

About half of all U.S. adults will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes, though most will not develop PTSD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. For police officers, the rate of exposure is significantly higher. Research suggests police officers may experience about three traumatic events every six months, or roughly 180 over a 30-year career.

Repeated exposure to traumatic events has been linked to a wide range of health issues in first responders, including poor sleep quality, depression, alcohol misuse and a heightened risk of PTSD.

In the Fargo survey, 53% of officers agreed that most police officers view being treated for a mental illness as a sign of personal weakness and would not seek professional help if they were experiencing mental health issues.

Forty percent believed that having a history of mental illness would negatively affect an officer’s chances for promotion. Many officers also disagreed with the idea that mental illness would lead to mistrust or social exclusion among peers. Sixty-four percent of officers disagreed with statements suggesting that most officers would avoid partnering with or think less of a colleague who had experienced a mental illness.

While agencies have expanded mental health resources in recent years, the study’s findings suggest that organizational culture remains a key factor in whether officers feel comfortable using those services.

The U.S. law enforcement system includes more than 17,000 federal, state, county and local agencies. While smaller and rural departments may be less likely to offer robust mental health services, Archbold said that does not reflect a lack of interest from leadership. Many departments — regardless of size — struggle to meet officer wellness needs within existing budgets and often must seek additional funding to support mental health programs.

“It’s likely that police chiefs would like to have these services available, but they just don’t have the money to be able to do that –– to provide those services,” Archbold said.

Stateline reporter Amanda Hernández can be reached at ahernandez@stateline.org.

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