Mental Health Literacy, Mental Health, and Operational Stress among Police Personnel: An Exploratory Study
Aditi Chowdhary, Geetesh Kumar SinghAbstract
Background:
Police personnel often experience significant occupational stress and interact frequently with individuals with mental health problems during their duties; however, there is no formal mental health literacy (MHL) training program for them and research on MHL among Indian police remains limited.
Aim:
The study aimed to examine MHL, mental health, psychological well-being, and operational stress among police personnel and the associations between these variables.
Methods:
Using a cross-sectional design and purposive sampling, 72 serving police personnel from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar city police stations completed the standardized measures of MHL, depression, anxiety and stress, psychological well-being, and operational stress.
Results:
Overall, 47.2% of personnel had poor and 29.2% very poor MHL and more than 70% could not recognize dysthymia or agoraphobia. Approximately 19% reported depression, 31% anxiety and 21% stress; 39% reported low autonomy, 71% low self-acceptance, and 69% high operational stress. Operational stress was associated with higher anxiety and stress, poorer positive relationships, and lower overall psychological well-being, whereas MHL was positively associated with self-acceptance and overall psychological well-being.
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the need for comprehensive mental health awareness programs and organizational reforms – specialized training, peersupport systems, and workpolicy adjustments – to address stress and promote well-being, which is crucial for improving officers’ well-being and job performance.