Published Oct 30, 2026 | 9:30 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 30, 2026 | 10:16 AM
Long hours, demanding duties and constant exposure to difficult situations weigh heavily on mental well-being. (Kerala Police website)
Synopsis: Nearly one in 10 police personnel surveyed in Keralam reported suicidal thoughts in the past year, while about one in 25 reported suicidal behaviour, a study has found. Based on a survey of 400 personnel in Malappuram and Ernakulam, the findings point to the strain of long working hours, frontline duties, workplace harassment, and limited access to psychological support. The study calls for confidential mental health screening, timely treatment and better workplace support to address a crisis that often remains hidden within the police force.
The mental health struggles of police personnel in Keralam have once again come into sharp focus, with a new study finding that nearly one in 10 had harboured suicidal thoughts and around one in 25 reported suicidal behaviour in the past year.
The findings highlighted the toll that occupational stress could take on those working in the police force, where long hours, demanding duties and constant exposure to difficult situations weigh heavily on mental well-being.
The study also pointed to the need for timely intervention, a supportive work environment and confidential access to mental health services for police personnel.
Nearly one in 10 police personnel surveyed in the study reported suicidal thoughts, while about one in 25 reported suicidal behaviour, highlighting the mental health challenges faced by the force.
The findings carry particular significance for Keralam, which has one of the highest suicide burdens in the country.
The study, involving 400 police personnel, found that the weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 9.39%, while suicidal behaviour stood at 4.11%.
Researchers identified several factors associated with higher prevalence, including older age, longer service, frontline postings, extended working hours, a history of psychiatric illness, and exposure to workplace violence or harassment.
The study that examined the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and suicidal behaviour among police personnel covered 400 police personnel from selected stations in Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
The study included personnel ranging from Civil Police Officers (CPOs) to Inspectors.
Eight police stations were selected in Malappuram district and seven in the Kochi Police Commissionerate area of Ernakulam district.
To qualify for the study, participants had to have completed at least six months of continuous service in their current posting and provide written informed consent.
The cross-sectional study was conducted by a team from the Department of Public Health at Amrita School of Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi.
The researchers stressed that the findings pointed to an urgent need for better workplace mental health support, while cautioning that the study did not establish cause-and-effect relationships.
The study was conducted between September 2025 and May 2026. Data were collected between December 2025 and February 2026.
The research sought to estimate how many police personnel experienced suicidal thoughts or suicidal behaviour in the 12 months preceding the study and identify the factors associated with these experiences. The factors examined included social and demographic background, work conditions, and health and psychosocial circumstances.
Also Read: Mental health still on back burner as suicide rate soars among Kerala police
Of the 400 participants, 197 (50.52%) were aged above 36 years. Men accounted for 323 participants (80.93%), while 379 (94.34%) were married.
Long working hours were common.
Eighty participants (20.06%) reported working more than 12 hours a day, and 387 (96.26%) said they performed night duty every week. Exposure to traumatic events was reported by 390 participants (97.70%).
The study also found gaps in psychological support.
As many as 357 participants (88.60%) reported that psychological support was unavailable to them, while 22 (5.86%) reported a previous psychiatric illness.
During the preceding year, 36 participants reported suicidal ideation, producing a weighted prevalence of 9.39%, with a 95% confidence interval of 6.18% to 14.01%.
A wish to be dead was the most frequently reported form of suicidal ideation, recorded among 32 participants, with a weighted prevalence of 7.81%.
Non-specific active suicidal thoughts were reported by 17 participants (4.51%).
Fourteen participants reported suicidal behaviour during the same period, with a weighted prevalence of 4.11% (95% confidence interval: 1.68%–9.70%). The reported behaviours included actual suicide attempts among six participants (1.47%), interrupted attempts among 10 (2.89%), aborted or self-interrupted attempts among 12 (3.60%), and preparatory acts among six (1.44%).
The above categories might overlap, as participants could report more than one type of behaviour.
Also Read: Kerala DSP booked for molesting detainee, taking bribes
Constable-level police personnel (CPOs) reported a higher prevalence of both suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviour than those in senior designations, the study found.
The researchers pointed to the demands of frontline policing, which involved frequent public interaction, emergency response, law-and-order duties and conflict management. Such responsibilities could expose personnel to unpredictable situations, pressure to make rapid decisions and limited opportunities for rest and recovery.
The study’s findings, the researchers said, made frontline personnel a priority group for workplace mental health and suicide prevention programmes, as frontline policing involves higher occupational stress, burnout and psychological distress than supervisory or administrative roles.
Working more than 12 hours a day was independently associated with a higher reported prevalence of suicidal ideation.
The researchers noted that prolonged working hours could contribute to fatigue, sleep deprivation, burnout, poor work-life balance, and reduced ability to cope with stress.
Sleep disturbances were identified in previous research as a possible link between occupational stress and suicidal thoughts among public safety personnel.
A history of psychiatric illness and exposure to workplace violence or harassment emerged as consistent factors associated with both suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviour. Personnel with a previous psychiatric illness reported significantly higher prevalence of both outcomes, underlining the importance of early identification, timely treatment and continued follow-up.
Participants aged above 36 years also reported a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation.
Older age and longer service duration were among the factors independently associated with a higher prevalence of suicidal behaviour, alongside CPO designation, extended working hours, previous psychiatric illness and workplace violence or harassment.
Also Read: Man dies by suicide inside police station
Stress, heavy workloads, family and financial problems, health issues and a lack of open communication were among the factors linked to suicides among police personnel, the state government told the Kerala Assembly in 2025.
Responding to a question on whether the rising incidence of suicides in the police force was being treated with the seriousness it deserved, then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said changing lifestyles and the demands of modern policing had taken a toll on officers.
The growing range of crimes in the digital era had added to the responsibilities of the force, making the job increasingly demanding, he said.
While personal and family difficulties, financial burdens and health problems contributed to psychological distress, challenges in professional life were also suspected to have played a role in some cases.
The government and the Police Department had introduced several measures to prevent suicides, ease mental distress and reduce excessive workloads, Vijayan said.
The Help and Assistance to Tackle Stress (HATS) programme, launched in 2017, identifies personnel facing psychological distress and provides counselling and activities such as yoga training. The facility is also available to police personnel’s family members, free of cost.
A mentoring system involving senior officers has also been introduced at police stations to encourage personnel to speak openly about their problems and help ease stress.
The government had issued a circular directing that police personnel be granted their eligible leave and receive their weekly day off without fail.
Special programmes were also being implemented in coordination with de-addiction centres and government hospitals across Keralam to help police personnel struggling with alcohol dependence overcome addiction.
Also Read: IPS trainee attempts suicide in Hyderabad
In the present study, published in the Frontiers in Public Health journal in October, researchers said the findings have important public health implications for Keralam and called for targeted measures to address the occupational pressures faced by police personnel.
They recommended routine, confidential mental health screening, prompt treatment for personnel with psychiatric conditions, steps to curb excessive working hours and stronger measures to prevent workplace violence and harassment. Regular psychological assessments for personnel with longer service duration were also recommended.
Other proposed measures included strengthening peer-support systems, improving mental health awareness among supervisory officers and ensuring confidential access to psychological counselling.
Mental health services tailored to the demands of policing could also be integrated into existing Kerala Police welfare programmes.
The researchers said police personnel remain a high-risk occupational group whose distinctive workplace pressures require more than general welfare measures.
Early recognition of psychological distress, better access to confidential care, and action to address workplace stressors, they concluded, are essential to improving the force’s mental well-being and reducing suicidal behaviour.
(If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately. Call India’s Tele-MANAS mental health helpline at 14416 for free, 24/7 support.)
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
