Occupational stress is proving to be a real challenge for women in Khaki in comparison to their male counterparts . Sleepless nights, endless shifts and the constant juggle between professional and personal life -- a new study has found that women personnel in the Delhi Police experience higher levels of work stress than their male counterparts, with nearly all of them reporting moderate to high levels of job-related strain.
For the women cops, it is both operational as well as organisational stress that is making them vulnerable to physiological as well as psychological outcomes. It often goes under reported, undiagnosed and unaddressed, thanks to a study which has highlighted it all.
The cross-sectional research, titled 'A Study on the Prevalence of Occupational Stress Among Police Personnel in Delhi', was conducted by researchers from Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and published in the journal Cureus this year.
Female officers, who made up close to 18 per cent of the 374 participants, were found to be more stressed overall.Almost 97 per cent of them reported operational stress, compared to 90 per cent of the men questioned in the study, it added.Similarly, 56 per cent of women experienced organisational stress, slightly higher than 54 per cent of their male colleagues.
While male officers said shortage of staff was their top source of stress, women reported that paperwork and administrative duties were particularly overwhelming, often describing it as "mentally draining", adding that routine office work often left them with little time for field responsibilities, it said.The researchers said this difference could be due to the dual expectations placed on women, balancing their duties as police officers with family responsibilities, often without adequate institutional support.
The study explained that they calculated police stress based on two categories -- operational and organisational strain.
Both forms, the researchers noted, are deeply intertwined and can affect the mental and physical health of officers, they said.On a broader spectrum, the study revealed that 91.5 per cent of the police personnel surveyed suffered from moderate to high operational stress, while 54.2 per cent reported organisational stress. Researchers called the figures "alarming", saying they pointed to a systemic problem within the police structure.Many also reported being constantly exhausted from shift work and overtime, and several said they often felt as if they were "always on duty".
For women, the strain was sharper, and many said they struggled to maintain any social balance at all, describing their lives as "work followed by more work".The study also found that Delhi Police personnel typically work far beyond normal limits. Nearly 80 per cent said they get fewer than four holidays a month, and about 69 per cent reported working more than 48 hours a week.Some even said their shifts stretch beyond 72 hours. Those working the longest hours were found to experience significantly higher organisational stress.
Comparing Delhi's data with other Indian states, the researchers found that operational stress among the capital's police was among the highest in the country.Calling the results "an eye-opener", the researchers said the findings show the urgent need for institutional reform and mental health support within the force.
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