Predictors of psychological well being in law enforcement officers

Abstract

The study titled “Predictors of Psychological Well-being in Law Enforcement Officers” investigated the factors influencing the psychological well-being of police officers in Kerala. Recognizing the intense and often traumatic nature of police work, and the application of positive psychology, the research examined variables such as psychological capital, self-esteem, self-compassion, work-life balance, gratitude, forgiveness, life engagement, perceived social support, and intolerance of uncertainty and how it is related to psychological well-being of law enforcement officers. The objectives of the research are(1) to find out the correlation between variables under study with psychological well-being,(2) to find out the predictive power of the independent variables, (3) to find out the mediating effect of self-esteem, psychological capital and work-life balance on self-compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, perceived social support, life engagement, intolerance of uncertainty and psychological well-being,(4) to find out the influence of demographic variables on psychological well-being. A sample of 489 officers from various districts, with diverse demographic backgrounds, was analyzed using quota sampling. Pearson’s correlation analysis, step-wise regression analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, and mediation analysis were performed to analyze the data. Key findings revealed that psychological well-being is positively correlated with all the study variables except intolerance of uncertainty which is negatively correlated. Psychological capital, self-esteem, forgiveness, work-life balance, perceived social support, and self-compassion together contributed to 47.9 % of psychological well-being. Self-esteem was a significant mediator, whereas psychological capital mediates forgiveness, life engagement, perceived social support, self-compassion, and psychological well-being. The mediating role of work-life balance was not supported. Notably, sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, designation, and education did not significantly affect psychological well-being. The study emphasizes integrating psychological support mechanisms within police training and practices to enhance officers’ psychological well-being. These findings suggest that targeted psychological interventions, rather than demographic-based approaches, are crucial for fostering well-being among law enforcement officers.