Relationship between Occupational Stress and Psychological Wellbeing of Police Officers in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, Kenya

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and psychological well-being among police officers in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: find out the levels of occupational stress, determine the levels of psychological well-being, assess the relationship between occupational stress and psychological wellbeing, and investigate interventions to mitigate occupational stress among police officers in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, Kenya. The study was informed by Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model and Person-environment Fit theory. The study employed mixed-method cross-sectional research design. The target population was 280 police officers in Mbeere South Sub-County. The study sample size was 162 police officers which was calculated using Cochran’s formula. Multi-stage sampling approach was used where stratified sampling was used to categorize police officers in the five wards and simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample from the five Wards to reflect the diversity of the target population and minimize selection bias. The quantitative data was collected using Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Qualitative data was collected using Key Informant Interview Guide and Focus Group Discussion Guide. Respondents in interviews (10) and FGDs (40, 8 from each ward) were selected using purposive sampling. A pilot study was conducted involving a sample of 10 police officers from Mbeere South Sub-County who were not included in the main study. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Correlation analysis, ANOVA, and regression analysis were employed to establish relationships and differences between key variables. Tables were used to present the findings. Statistical software (SPSS version 25) was used to aid in the analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using Nvivo to identify common patterns or themes related to occupational stressors, psychological wellbeing, and coping strategies among police officers. The study found that 53.3% of officers were experiencing severe stress driven by both organizational (54.7%) and operational (58.7%) factors. Psychological well-being was generally poor, with only 37.3% reporting good well-being and 42.7% indicating poor well-being, suggestive of potential depression or severe distress. However, no significant linear relationship was observed between occupational stress and well-being (organizational: r = −0.024, p = .767; operational: r = −0.105, p = .201), with the model explaining just 1.5% of variance. Reported interventions, including mindfulness, exercise, meditation, yoga, and family coherence, were neither widely accessible nor rated as highly useful, with the most common options, mindfulness (57.3%) and exercise (56.0%), often perceived as only “little useful.†This study recommends that the National Police Service should develop targeted stress reduction initiatives addressing both organizational and operational sources of stress, such as improving workflow efficiency, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, and providing adequate operational resources.