![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
The Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) has today shared the results of its latest member survey, which reveal extremely poor levels of motivation and morale, to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
Carried out annually, the PSA’s consultation process, conducted in partnership with the Superintendents’ Association of Northern Ireland (SANI), seeks feedback and insight from its members on pay, morale and motivation.
Today, results from the 2023 survey have been shared and they show extremely low levels of morale and motivation – many the lowest they have ever been. The results also show significant drops in the level of pride felt with being in the police service, and in the number of members who would recommend joining policing.
Policing motivation at record low
Just 52% of those surveyed said their personal motivation was high – the lowest ever recorded. Meanwhile, 66% said morale was low in their force and only 38% said they feel valued. Just 32% said they would recommend policing to others.
Nick Smart, President of the PSA, described a “morale and wellbeing crisis” among policing’s most senior operational leaders, as the association shares the results of its latest member survey, in line with World Mental Health Day.
This is the 8th year of the PSA’s survey, which has shown a steadily declining picture of police morale. The association has consistently called upon policing’s national leaders to invest in and commit to wellbeing initiatives for police officers and staff that reflect the high-risk and high-stress nature of the work they undertake, and which recognise the high levels of mental health illness and stress-related conditions within the workforce. These messages were high on the agenda in the president’s address to Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson at the PSA’s recent conference.
‘Poor wellbeing right across the ranks’
Speaking about the results, Mr Smart said, “Today’s World Mental Health Day focuses on workplace mental health – a major priority for our association, and something that should be a priority for every police force, and for government.
“The wellbeing agenda has been a priority for us for a long time. We have highlighted the poor state of wellbeing right across the ranks and worked hard to do what we can to influence the national agenda.
“Our pay survey data, alongside that of our recent psychological risk assessment project, shows that the need for bespoke support for police leaders is irrefutable, alongside a service-wide wellbeing infrastructure that guarantees every police officer at every rank, appropriate levels of support to deal with the mental health impact of the type of work we are asking them to do.
Other key findings from the PSA survey include:
- 34% say their personal morale is low – the highest so far
- 52% said their morale was lower than it was 12 months ago
- 39% said their personal motivation was lower than it was 12 months ago
- 78% feel proud to be in the police – the lowest ever
- 91% do not feel the police are respected by government
To read similar articles, check out our People & Skills channel.
