Knowledge, preparedness, and compassion fatigue among law enforcement officers who respond to opioid overdose

Abstract

Background: Rates of fatal overdose (OD) from synthetic opioids rose nearly 60 % from 2016 to 2018. 911 Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs) are an evidenced-based strategy for preventing OD fatality. This study describes patrol officers' knowledge of their state's GSL, experience with OD response, and their perspectives on strategies to prevent and respond to opioid OD.

Methods: An electronic survey assessed officers' knowledge of state GSLs and experiences responding to OD. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear modeling were generated to examine differences in knowledge, preparedness, and endorsement of OD response efforts by experience with OD response.

Results: 2,829 officers responded to the survey. Among those who had responded to an OD call in the past six months (n = 1,946), 37 % reported administering naloxone on scene and 36 % reported making an arrest. Most (91 %) correctly reported whether their state had a GSL in effect. Only 26 % correctly reported whether that law provides limited immunity from arrest. Fifteen percent of officers who had responded to an OD work in departments that do not carry naloxone. Compared with officers who had not responded to any OD calls, those who reported responding OD calls at least monthly and at least weekly, were significantly less likely to endorse OD response efforts.

Conclusion: Officers who respond to OD calls are generally receiving training and naloxone supplies to respond, but knowledge gaps and additional training needs persist. Additional training and strategies to relieve compassion fatigue among those who have more experience with OD response efforts may be indicated.

Keywords: Compassion fatigue; Good Samaritan Law; Naloxone; Opioids; Overdose; Police.

Fig. 1

Number of patrol officer responses to a Good Samaritan Law survey by state, 2017 (N = 2,829).

Fig. 2

Characteristics of patrol officers responding to a Good Samaritan Law survey, by experience with OD response in past six months, 2017 (N = 2,829). GSL: Good Samaritan Law; OD: Overdose. *Indicates significant (p < 0.5) difference (using chi-square test) by ever/never responded to OD in the past 6 months.

Fig. 3

Training requests and knowledge of state’s GSL among patrol officers who responded to an OD call in the past 6 months, a GSL survey, 2017 (N = 1,974). GSL: Good Samaritan Law; OD: Overdose. *Indicates significant (p < 0.5) difference (using chi-square test) by ever/never not responded to OD in the past 6 months.

Fig. 4

Estimated average score on endorsement of OD response efforts scale, by history of OD response^ in past six months, based on a hierarchical linear regression model, a Good Samaritan Law survey, 2017 (N = 2,731). OD: Overdose. Dots represent point estimates. Bars represent 95 % confidence intervals. ^Categorical version of responded to OD variable. *Indicates significantly different (p < 0.05) from no response to OD using hierarchical linear regression model with states treated as clusters, history of OD response treated as categorical dependent variable, and endorsement of OD response efforts scale modeled as continuous independent variable.