Nagpur: A recent study conducted by senior police officer Nityanand Jha and co-authored by Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, has revealed that female personnel in the Nagpur City Police, particularly those aged between 34 and 41 years, are experiencing the highest levels of stress compared to other age groups within the force.
The study, carried out on 264 police personnel including 132 men and 132 women, aimed to examine stress patterns among police officers across different stages of their careers. Participants were divided into four age groups — 26–33, 34–41, 42–49, and 50–57 years — and evaluated using a 30-question stress assessment scale completed within 20 minutes.
According to the findings, women in the 34–41 age category recorded the highest stress levels, followed closely by male personnel in the same age bracket. Meanwhile, officers aged between 50 and 57 years were found to be the least stressed group.
Explaining the findings, DCP Jha said the age group of 34–41 years often faces the toughest balance between professional responsibilities and personal commitments. Police personnel at this stage are usually handling demanding duties while simultaneously managing family obligations such as raising children and caring for elderly parents. For women officers, the additional responsibility of household management further intensifies stress levels.
The study identified several major causes of stress among police personnel, including long working hours, lack of work-life balance, monotonous schedules, deadline pressure, and sleep deprivation.
To tackle rising stress levels, Jha suggested adopting preventive measures such as regular physical exercise, meditation, mindfulness practices, effective time management, healthy lifestyle habits, and seeking professional mental health support when required. He also stressed the importance of maintaining strong communication within families and ensuring a balance between personal and professional life.
Sharing his personal stress-management strategy, Jha said he organizes work by dividing tasks into four categories — urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important — helping him maintain productivity while reducing mental pressure.
