While violence takes an obvious toll on the victims, those who are first at the crime scenes and left to deal with the aftermath also suffer.
Help at hand: Psychiatrists speak with police officers via the 1599 support hotline.
This is why police have an unusually high suicide rate, a fact which was brought home again this year.
Between July, 2013, and July, 2014, 44 police officers committed suicide, most using service weapons. In some cases, they opted to drink poison or hang themselves.
In August, four police officers committed suicide. These officers were found to have been dealing with several problems including personal and family matters, debts, unfair treatment at work, and health issues.
The statistics prompted new police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang to launch the 1599 hotline to help ease the stress his subordinates experience.
Pol Maj Nipaporn Kham-un, a psychologist with the Police General Hospital's psychiatry and narcotics section, who directs the 1599 hotline, said most of those committing suicide were non-commissioned officers, aged between 30 and 40, who were struggling with burdens both at work and at home.
These personnel worked in the force's crime suppression sections, she said.
When police call the 1599 hotline, the standard practice is to encourage them to speak their minds and listen to them.
Instead of attempting to tell the callers what they should do, she said, the psychologist on duty should encourage callers to think of ways to solve the problems on their own, with only minimal guidance.