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Background: Police personnel experience the highest levels of stress due to the nature and demands of work. Though many researchers have studied these variables quantitatively, there is a lack of qualitative study, particularly in India. Methods: A qualitative study has been carried out to explore the stress and coping strategies of police personnel. This study conducted in-depth interviews with ten police personnel and three focus group discussions with 22 police personnel. Results: Thematic analysis revealed five themes: family stressor, personal stressor, work stressor, and adaptive and maladaptive coping. Inability to take leave, multi-tasking, unscheduled excessive working hours, inability to spend time with the family members, and lack of basic amenities to meet personal hygiene were significant factors for their high level of stress. Conclusion: The results reinforce the need for mitigating the impact of stress by using positive coping strategies and social support resources, which could be achieved through capacity building and mental health programs.
RESUMEN
Background: Stress and distress are common among Mental Health Professionals (MHP). MHPs avoid seeking professional help to address their stress, leading to increased vulnerability to stress and mental health conditions. Inadequately addressed stress directly impacts their service delivery and well-being. However, a serious dearth of literature from India has examined the extent of work-life balance (WLB) stress and psychological distress (PD) among MHP. Aim: This cross-sectional study aims to assess WLB and examine the relationship between perceived stress (PS), PD, burnout, and WLB among MHP in a tertiary care neuropsychiatry center. Methods: Using stratified random sampling, 101 MHP were evaluated using Pareek's work-life balance scale, Stamm's professional quality of life (ProQoL) scale, WHO's self-reporting questionnaire, and Cohen's perceived stress scale. Data were analyzed using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests. Results: The overall mean score on WLB was 80.45 (SD = 10.21), the PS scale was 24.86 (SD = 6.87), the burnout score was 22.68 (SD = 6), the ST score was 21.18 (SD = 6.35), and PD score was 5.07 (SD = 5.23). The level of WLB score was average to below average among 64% of participants. There is a positive correlation between WLB and compassion satisfaction (CS) and a negative correlation between ST and PS. The study found that the nature of the job, CS, and PD shall predict WLB. Conclusion: Stress, burnout, ProQoL, and WLB of MHPs vary significantly by job, income, and staying with family, indicating that MHPs are equally vulnerable to stress and burnout and imbalanced WLB, which require appropriate interventions.
RESUMEN
Natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies exert devastating impacts globally. Among these effects are disruptions in mental health and psychosocial well-being. Traditionally, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions have been implemented in response and recovery phases. Yet, the field of disaster management has demonstrated a shift towards disaster risk reduction (DRR). The degree to which the MHPSS field has followed this trend has been limited by several factors, including a lack of consensus-based guidance for MHPSS and DRR integration. However, examples from the field exist and demonstrate the feasibility of taking proactive approaches to supporting mental health and well-being and building better before emergencies occur. The following article outlines two case examples, one project in Sierra Leone and another in India, integrating MHPSS and DRR approaches and principles. Lessons learned from these cases and specific challenges in each context are highlighted and discussed.