Policy Fellow Victor Soupene
Victor Soupene, a postdoctoral research scholar in the UI Departments of Occupational and Environmental Health and Emergency Medicine, is the 2025-2026 Policy Fellow. Soupene’s project will focus on suicide prevention among law enforcement officers in the U.S.
In previous research conducted for his dissertation, Soupene looked at firearm suicide rates across occupational groups and found that law enforcement officers face disproportionately high rates compared to all other occupational groups nationally. Suicide rates were more than twice the national average for male officers and six times the national average for female officers. Soupene’s dissertation research also revealed a gap in knowledge about what suicide prevention programs, policies, and practices are currently in place in law enforcement agencies, how effective they are, and whether they are acceptable to the officers they are meant to serve.
During his Policy Fellowship, Soupene will examine the acceptability and feasibility of existing suicide prevention interventions within law enforcement in Iowa as well as identify best practices for adapting and implementing these strategies. He will develop and share a comprehensive inventory and policy brief of suicide prevention policies, programs, and practices available to law enforcement agencies. He will also organize focus groups with Iowa law enforcement stakeholders to discuss strengths and barriers to implementing suicide prevention programs.
Additional team members include Carri Casteel, Lisa Roth, and Ann Saba from the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center.
Policy Brief
Suicide Prevention Among Law Enforcement
In collaboration with the University of Iowa Institute for Public Health Practice, Research, and Policy, and an external advisory board of current and former law enforcement officers, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, and University of Iowa faculty and staff, we developed a comprehensive policy brief focused on suicide prevention in law enforcement. This brief summarizes relevant Iowa state and federal policies related to suicide prevention among law enforcement officers and presents three key priority recommendations informed by these findings.
Iowa Law Enforcement Suicide
Prevention Program Inventory
Iowa Law Enforcement Suicide
Prevention Policy Inventory
“My research suggests that having work-related access to firearms and job-related stress significantly contributes to this elevated risk. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the development of sustainable, evidence-informed organizational policies and programs that reduce suicide risk among law enforcement officers that may also offer valuable insights for other professions with access to firearms,” says Soupene.
External Advisory Board Members
All work was developed, discussed, and refined in collaboration with an external advisory board composed of current and former law enforcement officers, clinicians, nonprofit leaders, and University of Iowa faculty and staff. The advisory board provides valuable feedback, which Dr. Victor Soupene incorporates into the development of this project. This work would not be possible without the board’s dedication, perspectives, and time.
Listed below are advisory board members who have agreed to have their names and organizations publicly shared; others have chosen to remain anonymous. We are deeply grateful to all of them for their contributions.
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this work are solely those of Dr. Soupene and may not reflect the views of individual advisory board members.
| Name | Role | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Paul Ascheman, PhD | Clinical Stakeholder | Psychology Associates, PLLC |
| Ms. Lorena Bergan | Advocate Stakeholder | Kaitlin’s Heart for Heroes |
| Mr. Scott Bergan | Advocate Stakeholder | Kaitlin’s Heart for Heroes |
| Dr. Carri Casteel, PhD | Internal Stakeholder | University of Iowa |
| Ms. Christina Defenbaugh | Advocate Stakeholder | 10-42 Project |
| Mr. Daniel Defenbaugh | Advocate Stakeholder | 10-42 Project |
| Ms. Ericka Klingner, BA | Internal Stakeholder | University of Iowa |
| Ms. Vickie Miene, MS, MA, LMHC | Internal Stakeholder | University of Iowa |
| Ms. Lisa Roth, MA | Internal Stakeholder | University of Iowa |
| Chief Pete Roth, MPA | Law Enforcement Stakeholder | Windsor Heights Police Department |
| Special Agent Kristin Kotrous | Law Enforcement Stakeholder | Wellness Bureau, Iowa Department of Public Safety |
| Ms. Ann Saba, MPH | Internal Stakeholder | University of Iowa |
| Dr. Victor A. Soupene, PhD, MS | Principal Investigator | University of Iowa |