Originally published in Sentinel & Enterprise
For more than 15 years, I’ve served as a sworn police officer committed to both protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and helping my fellow law enforcement officers serve to the best of their capabilities. Over my career, I have seen the day-to-day stressors of the job take a toll on many of my colleagues, contributing to complex mental health challenges that our profession — and society at large — have long struggled to address.
This year, Massachusetts residents have an opportunity to make a difference by voting Yes on Question 4, the ballot measure that would create a legal, regulated framework for psychedelic-assisted therapy in our state. Research has shown that these substances can be highly effective in treating mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By passing Question 4, voters would ensure that both officers and civilians can get access to the care they need, while building a model for other states to follow.
As a trained mental health counselor who works with officers after traumatic incidents, I know the status quo for mental health support isn’t working. Just a single “critical event” can cause PTSD, leading to physical changes in your nervous system that compromise decision-making in high-stress situations. The stakes are especially high in law enforcement. Police officers experience, on average, over three traumatic events for every six months of service. As the effects of these experiences mount, many officers struggle to find effective support due to social stigma, cost barriers, and a lack of options. Some end up turning to alcohol, drugs, and other potentially harmful outlets in an attempt to cope.
Although conversations around mental health have evolved a lot in recent years, our current approach to PTSD still relies on methods that institutions like the National Center for PTSD and the National Library of Medicine have criticized as ineffective. When people seek treatment and don’t see results, many end up dropping out of care entirely — sometimes to devastating effect. Research has shown that law enforcement officers face a 54% higher risk of dying by suicide than the general population.
Our mental health-care system needs more than funding and promising new therapeutic tools to fix it. But we can’t afford to wait for that broader change to take place. In the meantime, we must ensure that police officers can access safe and effective care that would help them serve their communities. A healthy and effective police force is paramount to the safety of the commonwealth. A yes on Question 4 would help us uphold our oath to “protect and serve,” while sending a message that our officers are deserving of all available options for mental health wellness and care.
Police are one of the most visible arms of the government. We have a key role to play in being a positive force and agents of change in the community. By supporting our state’s push to embrace new methods of mental health care, I believe we can do what is best for both members of law enforcement and the broader public, all while establishing Massachusetts as a leader on this issue. Psychedelic therapy shouldn’t be the future of mental health care, it should be the present.
Lt. Sarko Gergerian has been a Massachusetts police officer for more than 15 years, holds a MS degree in mental health counseling and psychological services, and is a speaker for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a group of law enforcement professionals advocating for sensible, evidence-based reforms to the criminal justice system.