The distressing news left the woman hysterical, and it also affected the officer psychologically, triggering his own past trauma.
The officer soon found that he was unable to continue breaking such news to the loved ones of people who had died, which impacted his performance at work.
He sought help from the Police Psychological Services Department (PPSD), which then provided the necessary counselling and psychological resources for him to get back on his feet.
Speaking to the media during an engagement session on Dec 19, principal psychologist Ho Hui Fen, an assistant director at the PPSD, said the officer was later able to overcome his difficulties and handle the delivery of such news.
"In safe keeping and protecting the nation, police officers operate in a demanding and high-performing environment," she said.
"The PPSD has been providing morale and psychological well-being support to officers for the past 30 years."
Psychological services were first provided for police officers in 1993, but the Police Psychological Unit was officially formed only in 1996.
This story is from the December 20, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 20, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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