Depression in police officers: a systematic review of prevalence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0217e.36349Keywords:
police; depression; mental health; systematic review; meta-analysisAbstract
Introduction: Depression is a significant mental health problem for the general population, including police officers. The demanding and stressful nature of their duties exposes officers to a variety of psychosocial risk factors, such as confrontations with dangerous situations, long working hours, and exposure to successive traumas. These factors contribute to vulnerability to depression.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression in police officers.
Methods: Systematic prevalence review with meta-analysis following the method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The search strategy was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Complete, and the Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal – RCAAP. The selection, critical appraisal, and extraction of data was carried out by two independent reviewers. Binary random-effect meta-analyses of prevalence were conducted using the inverse of variance with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation.
Results: The search strategy identified 39809 records, of which only nine articles integrated the corpus of the review. The meta-analysis of the prevalence of depression had a sample of 44,172 police officers and was 26% (Confidence Interval - CI 95%= 12-42%; p<0.01). The studies also reported the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate the effects of depression on police officers' health and performance, as well as the importance of ongoing mental health monitoring and support programs.
Conclusion: There is a significant prevalence of depression among police officers. It is essential that corrective and ongoing interventions are implemented to promote a healthy working environment.
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