Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Almost all professions these days involve a huge workload and mental engagement 24/7, but there are more challenging professions, such as policing. According to the article ‘Mental health problems in the Indian police – how we can help them’ published in the Indian Journal of Mental Health, written by Dr. Manoj Kumar Pandey, who is a teacher of psychology, policing has been described as one of the most challenging, stressful, health-threatening and dangerous jobs most psychologically in the world.Assam police personnel are also under tremendous pressure and experts feel that their regular mental health check is the need of the hour.
Also Read: Guwahati: Overpass construction leaves Bammunimaidam road in bad condition, businesses affected
“Their work involves danger, bureaucracy, politics and strained community relations. Police are defined as non-military individuals or organizations who are given the general right by the government to use coercive force to enforce the law and whose primary purpose is to respond to problems of personal and group conflict involving illegal behavior. Role The police and what is considered proper activity and behavior is determined according to the requirements of the law, the police organization and the community,” the newspaper said.
The study also discusses that police work seems not to be a job but a calling 24/7. A police officer is faced on a daily basis with physical dangers and stress that he is not trained to deal with. The policeman had to face criticism from the community and his friends on a daily basis. These days, action-packed Hollywood and Bollywood action movies also glamorize police work, portraying the police officer as a hero – a tough, fearless character who can experience trauma and violence without suffering ill effects.
Recently, a senior IDF officer, Shildiya Chetia, committed suicide with his service weapon minutes after his wife was declared dead at a city hospital where she was being treated. Chetia (44), a 2009-batch DIG-rank IPS officer, served as the Home Secretary and the Political Department of Assam Govt.According to sources, he has been on leave for the past four months to attend to his ailing wife.
A retired IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya team who spoke to GPlus said, “I have worked closely with Shiladitya and his action is very shocking as no one can even think that he can take such a step,” adding that it is not a mental health issue but a “decision situational”.
Many colleagues close to him said he was very professional and his move was shocking.
Another IDF officer, who currently works as an SP, told GPlus on condition of anonymity, “Mental health should be given top priority and regular peer counseling sessions should be held in the Assam Police across sections,” adding that every police official should understand the relationship between their bodies. According to him, officers barely get time for mental health counseling and it is not even mandatory, so peer counseling sessions will help police officers share their mental health issues, which are otherwise kept hidden.
Another retired IPS officer of DGP rank said: “Mental health checks may not be mandatory, but they used to do many things. 15,000 police officials received life skills training over three daysbehaviorThey later followed up with the Assam Police,” adding that the training actually focused on how to live a healthy life. He said mental health should be given importance and it’s not that nothing is being done.
Similarly, another official, who is one of the policy makers in the Assam Police, said that a lot of things are being done to look after the mental health of the police officials. According to him, in all districts when someone is identified with mental problems, counseling is given accordingly. He also said that many trainings are ongoing to deal with mental health issues.
The Odisha Police recently decided to start an annual medical check-up (physical and mental) for its officials, but the revival came after a minister was brutally murdered by a serving Assistant Sub-Inspector.
Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kisur Das was shot dead by a Sub-Assistant Superintendent of Police in the western Odisha city of Rajarajnagar. Subsequently, various policing strategies were researched and developed to understand the mental health of police officers.
Speaking about the Assam Police, city psychiatrist Prabir Thakurya said, “Physical tests cannot detect mental problems,” adding that many times diseases such as anxiety, depression, addiction and many more are not detected at an early stage, but the condition deteriorates later. . According to him, like annual physical examinations, mental health examinations should also be mandatory to help the police officers. He also said that mental health screenings should also be done annually.
Well, the police may say they care about the mental health of officials, but what’s the harm in making it mandatory?
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://guwahatiplus.com/exclusive-news/should-regular-mental-health-check-ups-be-mandatory-for-police-officials
