EDUCATION-BASED PROMOTION PROCEDURE PREDISPOSING POLICE OFFICERS TO THE RISK OF DEPRESSION
Abstract
Purpose of Study: This study assessed the relationship between education/qualification-based promotion procedures and the risk of depression symptoms among police officers in Nairobi City County.
Problem Statement: Law enforcement exposes officers to a multitude of challenges, significantly impacting their mental well-being and elevating the risks of depression. However, law enforcement in Nairobi County in Kenya is affected by the risk of depression as a result of education-based promotion procedures.
Methodology: The study employed the descriptive survey research design on a population of population of 3010 junior police officers assigned to various police divisions in Nairobi County. Yamane's 1967 formula was utilized to select a sample of 354 respondents comprising junior police officers as well as mental health practitioners, officers from IPOA, and officers commanding stations. Questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. The reliability of the research instruments was estimated using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient, while validity was established through the expert opinion of university supervisors. Data analysis was aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.
Result: Data analysis results were presented as frequency distributions and in prose narration. The findings revealed that education-based promotion procedure predisposes police officers to the risk of depression in Nairobi County in Kenya.
Recommendation: The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National government should initiate programs and interventions streamlining promotion criteria by removing a human element and replacing it with technology that automatically selects qualified persons.
Keywords: Depression, Institutional factors, Police Officers, Risk of Depression symptoms.
References
Au , J. (2018). A Longitudinal Study Examining the Role of Social Connectedness in the Course of Depressive Symptoms: An Evaluation of Transfer and Freshman Students. Master’s Thesis. USA: University of Michigan.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti , E. (2018). Multiple levels in job demands-resources theory: Implications for employee well-being and performance. In E. Diener , S. Oishi , & L. Tay , Handbook of wellbeing (S. pp. 1–13). DEF Publishers.
Carleton, R. N., Afifi, T. O., Turner, S., Taillieu, T., Duranceau, S., LeBouthillier, D. M., & Asmundson, G. J. (2018). Mental disorder symptoms among public safety personnel in Canada. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(1), 54-64.
Damaris, K. (2021). Police officer commits suicide in his Kasarani house. Abgerufen am April 2024 von The Star: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-10-11-police-officer-commits-suicide-in-his-kasarani-house/
Demerouti, E. (2018). Integrating individual strategies in the job demands-resources theory. stanbul Üniversitesi İşletme Fakültesi Dergisi, 47(1), 5-32.
Di Nota, P. M., Anderson, G. S., Ricciardelli, R., Carleton, R. N., & Groll, D. (2020). Mental disorders, suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among Canadian Police. Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England), Vol. 70(3):183–190.
Dwyer, M. (2020). Reimagining police engagement? Kenya National Police Service on social media. Policing and society, 30(7), 760-776.
Green, D. P., & Gerber, A. S. (2018). Introduction to Social Pressure and Voting: New Experimental Evidence. Political Behavior, Vol.32.331-336.
Husain, W., & Faize, F. A. (2018). Depression, Anxiety and Stress of Police Officers in Sensitive. Archives of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. 2018; 1(2): 26-31, vOL.1(2): 26-31.
Isabirye, R. A., Namuli, J. D., & Kinyanda, E. (2022). Prevalence and factors associated with post traumatic stress disorder among field police patrol officers serving in Kampala Metropolitan region. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 706.
Kagwanja, N., Waithaka, D., Nzinga, J., Tsofa, B., Boga, M., Leli, H., & ... Barasa, E. (2020). Shocks, stress and everyday health system resilience: experiences from the Kenyan coast. Health policy and planning, 35(5), 522-535.
Kahn, R. L., & Byosiere, P. (1992). Stress in organizations. Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, 3, 571-650.
KNBS. (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume I: Population by County and Sub-County. Nairobi: KNBS.
Miao, B., & Zhong, S. (2018). Probabilistic social preference: how Machina’s Mom randomizes her choice. Economic Theory, Vol.65(1):1–24.
Morabito, M. S., & Shelley, T. O. (2018). Constrained agency theory and leadership: A new perspective to understand how female police officers overcome the structural and social impediments to promotion. Feminist Criminology, Vol.13(3) 287-308.
Muchiri, C. T. (2022). Impact of work-related stress on employee’s performance in the Kenya Disciplined Services. Reviewed Journal International of Business Management, 3(1), 22-37.
Mukii, I. (3. February 2021). 60 Police Officers Commit Suicide Annually – Report. Abgerufen am January 2024 von . https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/61792-60-police-officers-commit-suicide-annually-report
National Police Service . (2018). Revised Police Reforms Program Document 2015-2018. A strategy Framework for Implementation of Reforms in the National Police Service. Quality Policing Services for a Safer and Secure Kenya. Nairobi: Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government.
Njiro, B. J., Ndumwa, H. P., Msenga, C. J., Kawala, T., Likindik, & Likindikoki, S. (2021). Depression, suicidality and associated risk factors among police officers in urban Tanzania: a cross-sectional study. General psychiatry, 34(3), 1-9.
NPS. (2021). The National Police Service Annual Report 2021. Nairobi: The government printers Nairobi.
Okechukwu, E. U., Mobolaji, V. T., Uwadia, C. C., Uroegbulam, J. C., & Okponwa, L. E. (2022). Organizational Justice and Employee Satisfaction in a Manufacturing Firm in the Southeast of Nigeria. Global Journal of Finance and Business Review, ISSN, 1694, 450X.
Otto, S., Dekker, V., Dekker, H., Richter, D., & Zabel, S. (2022). The joy of gratifications: Promotion as a short‐term boost or long‐term success–The same for women and men? Human Resource Management Journal, 32(1), 151-168.
Parkes , R., Graham-Kevan, N., & Bryce , J. (2019). ‘I put my “police head” on’: coping strategies for working with sexual offending material. The Police Journal, Vol 92(3):237–263.
Paul, M. F. (2021). The legal framework and capacity of Uganda police force in eradicating narcotic drugs: a case of Kampala Metropolitan Policing Area . Kampala: Unpublished Phd Thesis, Makerere University.
Pevalin , D. J., Reeves , A., Baker, E., & Bentley , R. (2017). The impact of persistent poor housing conditions on mental health: A longitudinal population-based study. Prev Med, 105:304-310.
Prenzler, T., & Drew, J. (2018). Women Police in Post‐Fitzgerald Queensland: A 20 Year Review. Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol.72(4).
Purba, A., & Demou, E. (2019). The relationship between organizational stressors and mental wellbeing within police ofcers: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 19:1–21.
