Operations Deployments and Mental Health Disorders among National Police Service Officers: A Case of Garissa County, Kenya
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Date
2023-11
Authors
Anampiu, Samuel Kaimenyi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The rise of mental health disorders among the National Police Service members in Kenya has gained traction of scholars, policy makers and the general public. This study sought to interrogate the nexus between routine deployments in security operations areas and mental distress leading to commission of erratic shootings, homicides, suicides and or injuries to family members, colleagues and the public at large. This study seeks to contribute to the existing discourse on mental health disorders. The specific objectives of this research were; to interrogate the traumatic stressors of the security deployments in operations deployments leading to mental disorders among police officers in Garissa County, Kenya, to analyze effects of operational deployment and resultant mental disorders among the serving police officers in Garissa County, Kenya, and to examine primary, secondary and tertiary treatments measures for effects of operational deployment and mental health disorders among the serving police officers in Garissa County, Kenya. This study employed a cross sectional survey research design. The target population was the National Police Service Officers of all ranks, medics at National Police Service, and relatives of officers deployed in Garissa, County. The study employed mixed sampling techniques including: simple stratified sampling, purposive, snowballing and random sampling methods. This study used a sample size of 76 respondents. The study utilized questionnaires to collect data. Quantitative data collected was processed and analyzed using Statistical Package Social Sciences v.22 while qualitative opinion was expressed in narratives and verbatim. From the results, more than half 52.0% of the police officers deployed in Garissa had experienced PTSD, while 48.0% of the officers had not. Most of the officers 93.1% had witnessed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among their workmates, while only a small percentage of 6.9% had not. ANOVA analysis on the regression model showed an f-significance value of .000b. The regression equation further revealed that there was a significant relationship between stressors in operations security deployments and mental health issues among police officers (p=0.000). There was a significant relationship between physical and mental effects of PTSD and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (p=0.000). Further, there was a significant relationship between primary and secondary treatment measures on management of PTSD (p=0.001). These data, asserts that police officers deployed in operation areas faced a higher chance of being exposed to upsetting mental state due to security risks in operation areas. Subsequently, there is a higher chance of police officers being exposed to (PTSD). Absence of well-established early and post interventions measures caused detrimental repercussions on management of both trauma and PTSD on NPS personnel. Therefore, the NPS should strive at all cost to upgrade medical facilities to deal with cataclysmic and dire consequences of mental disorders. The government should strive to reach out to the family members living in police lines and their homes for mitigations of mental disorders among the police officers.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Masters of Arts in Peace and Conflict Management of Kenyatta University, November, 2023
Keywords
Operations Deployments, Mental Health Disorders, National Police Service Officers, Garissa County, Kenya