A survey of psychological responses during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic among Chinese police officers in Wuhu

Abstract

Background The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused serious threats to people’s health and lives. The police officers are bravely fighting on the front lines of the epidemic. Our study is the first survey of psychological response in the police officers of China during the tumultuous time of the COVID − 19 outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional online questionnaire was conducted to the police officers from 5 districts (Yijiang, Sanshan, Jiujiang, jinghu and Jingkai) and 4 counties (Wuhu, Nanling,Fanchang and Wuwei) of Wuhu City through Wechat, and the data were collected between 10 and 26 March 2020. A total of 3561 questionnaires were received in the study, of which 3517 were considered valid. The questionnaires included the demographic information and psychological survey. The depression scale of the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) were employed to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Results The mean depression score of the participants was 4.10 ± 4.87 (0 ~ 27). 12.17% of the police officers had moderate to severe depression. The mean anxiety score of the participants was 3.59 ± 4.228 (0 ~ 21). 8.79% the police officers had moderate to severe anxiety. The participants of senior high school or below and academy had lower depression and anxiety scores than these of bachelor or above, respectively. The police officers Unmarried had lower anxiety scores than married. The different location and police classification were associated with the different degree of depression and anxiety. The participants who did not take sleeping pills had lower depression and anxiety scores than those who took sleeping pills. The depression scores of the police officers were strongly correlated with their anxiety scores of the police officers. Conclusion The police officers have different levels of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhu. We should call for attention to the psychological response of police officers during the epidemic, and provide them with corresponding help and follow-up.

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Explaining Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Chinese Police Officers

“…It is therefore imperative to examine the antecedents of police stress during health crises. Although recent studies have discussed the effects of COVID-19 on police mental health (Drew and Martin, 2020;Jennings and Perez, 2020;Stogner et al, 2020), only two have empirically investigated police stress (Yuan et al, 2020;Frenkel et al, 2021), leaving many questions unanswered.…”