MAGIZCHI ( Happiness) – Greater Chennai Police

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Strengthening the Mental Health of Police Personnel

Problem

• Screening police personnel for the presence of mental health issues
• Reducing behavioral and substance addiction among police and facilitating referrals for addiction treatment
• Addressing absenteeism and job desertion among the police personnel
• Enhancing work performance and group cohesion among police 
• Police public interface enhancement including individual counseling, anger management etc

Solution

• Individual supportive psychotherapies as a mode of treatment for mental health concerns 
• Provision of couples therapy and family therapy for police personnel 
• Grief therapy and inpatient psychiatric admission through referral to hospital
• Provision of inpatient De-Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation 
• Offering trauma group therapy and addiction prevention Self-Help Groups

Outcomes

• Improvement in psychological and physiological well-being of police personnel 
• Insight about the importance of mental health and enhancing help-seeking behavior 
• Constant follow-up of personnel with the treating team
• Treatment of personnel with addiction to substances and maintaining sobriety 
• Improvement in the quality of family life of the police personnel 

Challenges

• Stigmatization of mental health among police personnel 
• High treatment gap leading to mental ill health, disability and poor quality of life
• Denial from police personnel for continuous counseling
• Denial from the personnel and their families to attend group counseling 
• Resistance of alcohol-addicted personnel to take treatment at the de-addiction center 

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Case Study

Strengthening the Mental Health of Police Personnel

Introduction:

The Greater Chennai Police developed a programme called “Magilchi” which stands for “Maximizing Ability, Growth, Ideal Life, Choices, and Independence” to address particular challenges affecting police officers.

Problem:

Screening police officers for mental health issues was a concern before the project’s implementation Addressing absenteeism and job desertion among police officers was also required along with enhancing the police public interface with individual counseling, anger management, etc.

Solution:

Police employees received individual supportive psychotherapies as a treatment for mental health issues. For police officers, there was also family counseling and couple’s therapy available. Through hospital referrals, grief treatment and inpatient mental hospitalization were carried out along with offering inpatient rehabilitation and addiction therapy.

Outcomes:

The project led to an improvement in the physical and mental well-being of police officers. It caused the staff to understand the value of mental health and help-seeking behavior.  Personnel who struggled with drug abuse were given better care and support from the treatment team to stay sober.

Challenges:

The project’s challenges were the stigmatization of mental health among police officers. There was a treatment gap, which resulted in mental illness and low life quality. Police officers and their families declined to attend group family therapy. Alcohol-addicted personnel was likewise reluctant to seek treatment.

Innovation:

The project’s innovative characteristics included forming economic support groups for police officers’ families. This initiative adopted a humanistic approach by creating a “labeling” free system.  Whatsapp peer groups were started to help destigmatize mental health. It involved the creation of a suicide prevention programme and online psychiatric emergency consultation.

Opportunities:

The project has the opportunity of advocating for police well-being centers in every police district in the state. New factors affecting work-life balance can be included along with bringing out a positive self-image of officers which was a lacuna among the public.

Summary:

This initiative made it possible to retain effective policing while also providing a comprehensive programme for their overall well-being, bettering their quality of personal, professional, and family life. 

For more information, please contact:
Mr Shankar Jiwal , Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police at tncopchennai@gmail.com

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