New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) Many policemen, including very senior officers, prefer to end their lives rather than disclose mental health problems to their peers due to the stigma attached to such issues, retired IPS officer and author O P Mishra said on Wednesday.
Addressing the launch of his book ‘Beyond the Uniform: Duty, Discretion and Public Trust: Citizen-Friendly and Responsive Policing’, published by Niyogi Books, Mishra said the welfare dimension, working conditions and mental health issues of police personnel are often overlooked while assessing the performance of the force.
“Police is a highly stressful job. It gets a lot of mental health issues for police staff,” Mishra said, adding that according to a global survey cited in his book, one in seven police officers worldwide suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, while one in eight struggles with other mental illnesses.
“Policemen are reluctant to share their mental health issues with anybody due to stigma attached to it. Several policemen, including very senior officers, prefer to end their lives rather than disclosing it to their peer groups,” he said.
Mishra said early signs of depression and mental health problems among policemen often go unnoticed, while only a few police organisations have an empathetic space where officers suffering from stress can share their concerns.
He said he has suggested an institutional mechanism to address the issue in his book.
Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, who released the book, said the physical and emotional well-being of police personnel was an essential foundation of citizen-friendly policing.
Proper training, modern investment in training, resources, responsible resources, better working conditions, and attention to the physical and emotional well-being of police personnel were essential, he said.
The CJI said Mishra’s book highlighted the importance of duty, discretion and public trust, and argued that police authority must ultimately be exercised with responsibility and proportionality.
Retired IPS officer and former Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said police leadership has a major role in improving the force’s image and ensuring that its personnel meet public expectations.
“The biggest role that can be played is by the leadership, by police leadership, and by police seniors,” Kumar said, adding that police leaders should identify all areas where officers come in contact with the public and ensure that such interactions provide a professional experience.
Kumar cited police verification as an example, saying such interactions could be made more pleasant and could help build public trust. He alleged that there was often an expectation of a tip during police verification and said such practices needed to be addressed.
He also stressed the importance of supervision in policing and investigation, saying senior officers must add value to the work of their subordinates.
“Police leadership fails to provide its contribution in including the basic police work of any field,” Kumar said, adding that supervisory ranks must ensure value addition at every stage of an investigation.
Political commentator and writer Sanjaya Baru said the police service faced enormous pressures and personnel shortages, which contributed to stress, anxiety and depression.
“I am not surprised to hear from people the incidence of depression, anxiety, stress and then problems,” Baru said, calling for greater attention to police reforms.
Mishra, a retired IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has a PhD in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University and served for 36 years in policing. PTI MHS SKY SKY
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