The impact of occupational psychological stress on the subjective well-being of police: mechanisms and interventions
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN11293031 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11293031 |
- Submission date
- 05/08/2025
- Registration date
- 09/08/2025
- Last edited
- 19/08/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
While research has confirmed that occupational psychological stress negatively impacts subjective well-being, no study has yet explored the specific occupational group of frontline police officers. This study aims to explore how job-related psychological stress affects the overall well-being of frontline police officers, while also considering how their sense of professional identity and job security might influence this connection. Additionally, it seeks to develop a new counseling program based on positive psychology to help officers manage stress more effectively and improve their mental and emotional well-being.
Who can participate?
Frontline police officers who have a Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) score of ≥28 in Wushi County, Xinjiang.
What does the study involve?
A quasi-experimental design was used to compare outcomes between an experimental group and a control group, using pre-test and post-test analyses. Both groups completed the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) and the Index of Well-Being (IWB) at both time points. Between these assessments, the experimental group attended six weekly 90-minute group counseling sessions, while the control group received no treatment. The CPSS threshold is 28, with scores of 28 or higher indicating health risk stress. Based on pre-test data, frontline police officers with CPSS scores above this threshold were selected for Study 2 and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group, with 12 participants in each. Randomization was done using computer-generated allocation. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling from the public security sector in Wushi County, Xinjiang.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants will receive 30 RMB as compensation, with no risk involved.
Where is the study run from?
Southwest University, Department of Psychology, China
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
December 2024 to March 2026
Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded
Who is the main contact?
Fengxia Wu, Principal Investigator, Yunnan Normal University, 383091719@qq.com
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
Southwest University, Department of Psychology, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei District
Chongqing
400715
China
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-6413-8402 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +86 15123656547 |
| 1119654505@qq.com |
Study information
| Study design | Pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Quasi-experimental design |
| Study setting(s) | Workplace |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Scientific title | The impact of occupational psychological stress on the subjective well-being of police |
| Study objectives | The current study had two primary objectives: (1) to investigate the relationship between occupational psychological stress and subjective well-being among frontline police officers, while also examining the roles played by professional identity and job security (authorized staffing) in this relationship; (2) to design a psychological counseling program informed by positive psychology principles to provide frontline police officers with innovative resources which can be used to alleviate occupational psychological stress and enhance their subjective well-being. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 20/12/2024, Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University (No. 768, Juxian Street, Chenggong District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, 650000, China; +86 0871-65912798; yinkeli@ynnu.edu.cn), ref: 2024013 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Relief for people with high occupational psychological stress (not reaching clinical standards) |
| Intervention | A quasi-experimental design was adopted, which included pre-test and post-test analyses of the data collected from the experimental group and the control group, separately. For both the pre-test and the post-test, both groups completed the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) and the IWB. Between the pre- and post-test time points, the experimental group participated in weekly 90-minute group counseling sessions for a total of six times, while the control group did not receive any treatment during this period. The threshold for the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) is 28 points, meaning that a scale score of ≥28 indicates health risk stress, and a score of < 28 indicates no health risk stress. Based on the collected pre-test data, frontline police officers were identified as suitable participants for Study 2, as their CPSS scores exceeded the threshold value of 28. From this group, police officers were chosen at random and assigned to either the experimental group or the control group, resulting in a total of 12 participants in each group. Participants were randomized via computer-generated allocation into intervention (group counseling) or control groups. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit participants who worked within the public security sector in Wushi County, Xinjiang. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | Occupational stress and well-being are measured using the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) at baseline and post-intervention (6 weeks) |
| Secondary outcome measures | There are no secondary outcome measures |
| Overall study start date | 01/12/2024 |
| Completion date | 01/03/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 26 Years |
| Upper age limit | 36 Years |
| Sex | Male |
| Target number of participants | 24 |
| Total final enrolment | 24 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Relief for people with high occupational psychological stress (not reaching clinical standards) |
| Key exclusion criteria | A Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) score of ≥28 |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/01/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 05/08/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- China
Study participating centre
Kunming City, Yunnan Province
650000
China
Sponsor information
University/education
Department of Psychology, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei District
Chongqing
400715
China
| Website | https://swu.edu.cn/ |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/01kj4z117 |
Funders
Funder type
Other
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 10/10/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in a peer-reviewed journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be available upon request from Kun Shi, 1119654505@qq.com |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol file | 08/08/2025 | No | No | ||
| Results article | 18/08/2025 | 19/08/2025 | Yes | No |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
19/08/2025: Publication reference added.
05/08/2025: Study's existence confirmed by the Ethical Review Application Form, Applied Psychology Program, Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, China.
