The role of cognitive functions in assessing aptitudes for carrying firearms by police officers
Keywords:
Attention, Memory, Mental disorders, Psychologic technics, Psychological safetyAbstract
Objective
To analyze the association between cognitive functions and the clinical and demographic profiles of police officers undergoing psychological evaluations for firearm possession in southern Brazil.
Method
A total of 250 psychological assessment records from 2015 to 2021 were reviewed. Cognitive functions were evaluated through tests measuring attention, memory, and logical reasoning. Statistical analyses included descriptive and inferential procedures to test the study hypotheses.
Results
The study found a significant cognitive decline associated with increasing age among police officers, indicating a higher risk for older adults carrying firearms. Mental disorders were shown to affect cognitive abilities; however, factors such as age and education mitigated this impact.
Conclusion
These findings highlight the importance of regular cognitive assessments for police officers, especially older individuals, to enhance preventive strategies and improve psychological evaluations related to firearm possession in Brazil.
Downloads
References
Alves, I. C. B. (2012). R-1: teste não verbal de inteligência: manual (4th ed.). Vetor.
Alves, I. C. B., & Esteves, C. (2019). O Teste Palográfico na avaliação da personalidade (3rd ed.). Vetor.
Andersen, J. P., Di Nota, P. M., Beston, B., Boychuk, E. C., Gustafsberg, H., Poplawski, S., & Arpaia, J. (2018). Reducing lethal force errors by modulating police physiology. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(10), 867. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001401
Balzarotti, S., Pagani, E., Telazzi, I., Gnerre, M., & Biassoni, F. (2022). Driving- related cognitive abilities: evaluating change over time in a sample of older adults undergoing an assessment regarding fitness to drive. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12806. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912806
Biggs, A. T., Cain, M. S., & Mitroff, S. R. (2015). Cognitive training can reduce civilian casualties in a simulated shooting environment. Psychological Science, 26(8), 1164-1176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615579274
Bomfim, A. J. D. L., Chagas, N. M. D. S., Leal, L. R., Pessoa, R. M. D. P., Ferreira, B. L. C., & Chagas, M. H. N. (2021). Desempenho cognitivo de idosos com baixa escolaridade com e sem depressão. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 15, 121-127. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-57642021dn15-010013
Bora, E., Harrison, B. J., Yücel, M., & Pantelis, C. (2013). Cognitive impairment in euthymic major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 43(10), 2017-2026. https://doi/org/10.1017/S0033291712002085
Borda, M. G., Reyes-Ortiz, C., Pérez-Zepeda, M. U., Patino-Hernandez, D., Gómez- Arteaga, C., & Cano- Gutiérrez, C. A. (2019). Educational level and its Association with the domains of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test. Aging and Mental Health, 23(10), 1300-1306. https://doi/org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1488940
Brucki, S., Nitrini, R., Caramelli, P., Bertolucci, P. H., & Okamoto, I. H. (2003). Sugestões para o uso do miniexame do estado mental no Brasil. Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria, 61, 777-781. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2003000500014.
Castro, M. C. D. A. D., & Cruz, R. M. (2015). Prevalência de transtornos mentais e percepção de suporte familiar em policiais civis. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, 35, 271-289. https://www.scielo.br/j/pcp/a/48nWTNd9Rxh8jwVrnKbhj8H/?lang=pt
Conselho Federal de Psicologia (Brasil). (2022). Resolução nº 1, de 21 de janeiro de 2022. Regulamenta a Avaliação Psicológica para concessão de registro e porte de arma de fogo e revoga a Resolução CFP nº 18, de 09 de dezembro de 2008, a Resolução CFP nº 02, de 30 de março de 2009 e a Resolução CFP nº 10, de 21 de outubro de 2009. Diário Oficial da União, 18, 143. https://in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/resolucaon-1-de-21-de-janeiro-de-2022-376060371
Dehn, L. B., & Beblo, T. (2019). Depressed, biased, forgetful: the interaction of emotional and cognitive dysfunctions in depression. Neuropsychiatrie, 33(3), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-019-0307-4.
Departamento da Polícia Federal (Brasil). (2014). Instrução Normativa nº 78, de 10 de fevereiro de 2014. Estabelece procedimentos para o credenciamento, fiscalização da aplicação e correção dos exames psicológicos realizados por psicólogos credenciados, responsáveis pela expedição do laudo que ateste a aptidão psicológica para o manuseio de arma de fogo e para exercer a profissão de vigilante. Diário Oficial da União. http://www.pf.gov.br/servicospf/armas/psicologos/instrucaonormativa_78_10defevereiro2014-1.pdf/view
Faiad, C., Santos, A. P. D., Lobosque, E. M. G., Sant’Anna Filho, O., Prado, L. V. D., & Coelho Junior, F. A. (2021). Avaliação psicológica em concursos públicos e porte de arma: histórico e desafios. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, 41. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-3703003252456
Kaufman, A. S., & Horn, J. L. (1996). Age changes on tests of fluid and crystallized ability for women and men on the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT) at ages 17–94 years. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 11(2), 97-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/0887-6177(95)00003-8
Kleider, H. M., Parrott, D. J., & King, T. Z. (2010). Shooting behavior: how working memory and negative emotionality influence police officer shoot decisions. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24(5), 707-717. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1580
Kleider-Offutt, H. M., Clevinger, A. M., & Bond, A. D. (2016). Working memory and cognitive load in the legal system: Influences on police shooting decisions, interrogation and jury decisions. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 426-433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2016.04.008
Knight, M. J., & Baune, B. T. (2018). Cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 31(1), 26-31. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000378.
Kop, N., & Euwema, M. C. (2001). Occupational stress and violence in Dutch policing. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 28(5), 631-652. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/009385480102800505
Laborde, S., Raab, M., & Kinrade, N. P. (2014). Is the ability to keep your mind sharp under pressure reflected in your heart? Evidence for the neurophysiological bases of decision reinvestment. Biological Psychology, 100, 34-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.05.003
Langarita-Llorente, R., & Gracia-Garcia, P. (2019). Neuropsychology of generalized anxiety disorders: a systematic review. Revista de Neurologia, 69(2), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.6902.2018371
Leonard, K., & Abramovitch, A. (2019). Cognitive functions in young adults with generalized anxiety disorder. European Psychiatry, 56(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.10.008
Lima, F. P. D., Blank, V. L. G., & Menegon, F. A. (2015). Prevalência de transtorno mental e comportamental em policiais militares/SC, em licença para tratamento de saúde. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, 5, 24-840. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-3703002242013
Lima, I. M., Peckham, A. D., & Johnson, S. L. (2018). Cognitive deficits in bipolar disorders: Implications for emotion. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 126-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.11.006
Molas, J. V., Agustí, G. M., & Sanosa, M. A. S. (2014). Evaluación de las condiciones psicológicas para el uso del arma de fuego en los cuerpos de seguridad. Medicina Clinica, 142, 30-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-7753(14)70069
Nascimento, R. A. S. A. D., Batista, R. T. S., Rocha, S. V., & Vasconcelos, L. R. C. (2015). Prevalência e fatores associados ao declínio cognitivo em idosos com baixa condição econômica: estudo MONIDI. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria, 64, 187-192. https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-2085000000077
Opdebeeck, C., Martyr, A., & Clare, L. (2016). Cognitive reserve and cognitive function in healthy older people: a meta-analysis. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 23(1), 40-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2015.1041450
Ostrosky-Solis, F., Ardila, A., Rosselli, M., Lopez-Arango, G., & Uriel-Mendoza, V. (1998). Neuropsychological test performance in illiterate subjects. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 13(7), 645-660. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/13.7.645
Pereira, G. K., Madruga, A. B., & Kawahala, E. (2020). Suicides in a military police organization in southern Brazil. Cadernos Saúde Coletiva, 28, 500-509. https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-462X202028040562
Pettigrew, C., Soldan, A., Zhu, Y., Cai, Q., Wang, M. C., Moghekar, A., Miller, M. I., Singh,B., Martinez, O., Fletcher, E., DeCarli, C., & Albert, M. (2020). Cognitive reserve and rate of change in Alzheimer’s and cerebrovascular disease biomarkers among cognitively normal individuals. Neurobiology of Aging, 88, 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.12.003
Queirós, C., Kaiseler, M., & Leitão da Silva, A. (2013). Burnout as predictor of aggressivity among police officers. EJPS, 1(2), 110. https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/70088/2/87287.pdf
Queirós, C., Passos, F., Bártolo, A., Marques, A. J., Da Silva, C. F., & Pereira, A. (2020). Burnout and stress measurement in police officers: literature review and a study with the operational police stress questionnaire. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 587. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00587
Rock, P. L., Roiser, J. P., Riedel, W. J., & Blackwell, A. (2014). Cognitive impairment in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 44(10), 2029-2040. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291713002535
Rodrigues, J. D. L., Ferreira, F. D. O., & Haase, V. G. (2008). Perfil do desempenho motor e cognitivo na idade adulta e velhice. Gerais: Revista Interinstitucional de Psicologia, 1(1), 20-33. http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-82202008000100004
Rueda, F. J. M. (2010). Bateria Psicológica para Avaliação da Atenção – BPA. Vetor.
Rueda, F. J. M., Raad, A. J., & Monteiro, R. M. (2016). TEM-R: Teste de Memória de Reconhecimento. Vetor.
Rueda, F. J. M., & Sisto, F. F. (2007). TEPIC-M: Teste Pictórico de Memória. Vetor.
Rueda, F. J. M., & Sisto, F. F. (2009). Teste de Atenção Concentrada: TEACO-FF. Casa do Psicólogo.
Seblova, D., Berggren, R., & Lövdén, M. (2020). Education and age-related decline in cognitive performance: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. Ageing Research Reviews, 58, 101005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2019.101005
Souza, E. R. D., & Minayo, M. C. D. S. (2005). Policial, risco como profissão: morbimortalidade vinculada ao trabalho. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 10, 917-928. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232005000400015
Stern, Y. (2012). Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. The Lancet Neurology, 11(11), 1006-1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70191-6
Swick, D., Honzel, N., Larsen, J., Ashley, V., & Justus, T. (2012). Impaired response inhibition in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 18(5), 917-926. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617712000458
Wilson, R. S., Hebert, L. E., Scherr, P. A., Barnes, L. L., De Leon, C. M., & Evans, D.A. (2009). Educational attainment and cognitive decline in old age. Neurology, 72(5), 460-465. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000341782.71418.6c
World Health Organization. (2003). The World Health Report 2003: shaping the future. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/42789
Xu, W., Tan, L., Wang, H.-F., Tan, M.-S., Tan, L., Li, J.-Q., Zhao, Q.-F., & Yu, J. T. (2016). Education and risk of dementia: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Molecular Neurobiology, 53(5), 3113-3123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-015-9211-5
Zhang, M., Katzman, R., Salmon, D., Jin, H., Cai, G., Wang, Z., Qu, G., Grant, I., Yu, E., Levy, P., Klauber, M. R., & Liu, W. T. (1990). The prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in Shanghai, China: impact of age, gender, and education. Annals of Neurology: Official Journal of the American Neurological Association and the Child Neurology Society, 27(4), 428-437. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410270412
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Michelle Vecchi, Roberto Moraes Cruz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
