Crime scene examiners' mental health: a scoping review

TL;DR

This review explores the mental health challenges faced by crime scene examiners and identifies key stressors and coping strategies in their work environment.

Contribution

The study provides the first systematic mapping of mental health research among crime scene examiners, revealing unique occupational stressors and protective factors.

Findings

CSEs face cumulative trauma exposure, organizational strain, and professional invisibility as key stressors.

Five themes emerged: trauma exposure, psychological outcomes, lack of support, low role recognition, and protective factors like resilience.

Systemic deficiencies in leadership and mental health support increase risks and may impair decision-making.

Abstract

Crime scene examiners (CSEs) play a crucial yet understudied role in law enforcement, frequently exposed to traumatic material under demanding organizational conditions. While the psychological health of frontline police has been extensively investigated, little is known about the mental wellbeing of those working in forensic and crime scene units. This scoping review systematically maps the existing international literature on CSEs' mental health to identify key themes, knowledge gaps, and implications for practice. Following Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, seven databases were searched, yielding 24 studies published between 2005 and 2025. The findings reveal that CSEs experience a distinct constellation of occupational stressors, including cumulative trauma exposure, organizational strain, and professional invisibility. Five overarching themes emerged: (1) occupational exposure to trauma and post-traumatic stress; (2) stress, anxiety, and related psychological outcomes; (3) lack of institutional and organizational support; (4) low forensic awareness and diminished role recognition; and (5) protective factors such as resilience, peer support, and humor. Despite recurrent exposure to death, violence, and emotionally charged scenes, many CSEs demonstrate adaptive coping and resilience, though often without formal support structures. The review highlights systemic deficiencies in leadership, debriefing, and psychological monitoring, which exacerbate mental health risks and may impair decision-making quality. Addressing the invisibility of forensic policing through trauma-informed leadership, structured mental health interventions, and enhanced forensic awareness is critical both for workforce sustainability and the reliability of justice processes.

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