Open Access

ARTICLE

Protecting Protectors: Smartphone-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Mental Health in the Chinese Police

Huiting Zou^1,2, Zheng Zhang^3,*, Peng Chen⁴
1 Social Management Department, Shaanxi Police College, Xi’an, 710021, China
2 School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710061, China
3 Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
4 School of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710061, China
* Corresponding Author: Zheng Zhang. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Exploring anxiety, stress, depression, addictions, executive functions, mental health, and other psychological and socio-emotional variables: psychological well-being and suicide prevention perspectives)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.056444

Received 23 July 2024; Accepted 15 October 2024; Published online 05 November 2024

Abstract

Background: The mental health challenges faced by police officers due to high-stress work environments necessitate effective interventions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown promise in addressing mental health issues, and this study aims to evaluate the efficacy of smartphone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (SCBT) in improving mental health outcomes among police officers. This intervention could provide a reference for enhancing mental health literacy and resilience in this population. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed, involving 291 police officers who were randomly assigned to either the SCBT intervention group (n = 145) or the control group (n = 146). Participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), which measures multiple psychological symptoms including somatization, obsessive-compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine group differences in symptom severity and effect sizes. Results: Post-intervention results indicated significant reductions in somatization, obsessive-compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism, with large effect sizes observed in the intervention group. Notably, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements compared to the control group, particularly in overall psychological distress as measured by the total SCL-90 score. However, significant reductions in interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation were also observed in the control group, suggesting external factors may have influenced these dimensions. Conclusion: SCBT demonstrated efficacy in reducing psychological distress among police officers, offering a flexible and accessible mental health intervention. However, challenges such as high dropout rates and the complex, dynamic nature of mental health warrant further investigation. Future studies should explore targeted interventions for specific behavioral issues and consider SCBT as a supplementary tool alongside traditional psychotherapy.

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Keywords

Police; mental health; smartphone-based cognitive behavioral therapy

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