The Leadership Barrier: How Organizational Support, Culture, and Stigma Influence Mental Health Utilization in the NYPD

This study examined systematic barriers that affect NYPD officers' utilization of mental health resources. Despite efforts to provide mental health resources, deep-rooted stigma, rigid organizational culture, and inconsistent leadership support continue to impede officers' utilization. A survey was distributed to two groups of police officers: officers with 5 years or less of active service (n = 548) and 15 years or more of active service (n = 880). The survey questions focused on leadership support, organizational culture, and stigma to assess the differences in mental health utilization. The results showed no significant differences between groups in utilization (p = .437), which showed newer officers assimilated to the department's cultural norms faster than hypothesized. Leadership support had the strongest predictor of utilization (B = 0.38, p < .001), while stigma had a significant negative effect (B = -0.24, p = <.001). A self-created Likert scale survey was validated using Cronbach’s alpha with all constructs demonstrating high internal consistency (Leadership Support = 0.85, Organizational Culture = 0.79, Stigma 0.82, and overall Utilization = 0.76). These findings suggest that mental health resources will remain underutilized unless NYPD leadership prioritizes sustained cultural change. Leadership-driven initiatives are crucial for reducing stigma, building trust, and ensuring that mental health support becomes an integral part of the organizational culture.