OS EFEITOS DA ATIVIDADE FÍSICA PARA A SAÚDE MENTAL DE POLICIAIS MILITARES FEMININAS DO 1º BATALHÃO DE POLÍCIA MILITAR DO PARANÁ NA CIDADE DE PONTA GROSSA/PR

The mental health of military police officers is an increasingly relevant issue in the current public security scenario, especially when considering the stress and challenges faced in carrying out their duties. In this sense, this study intends to investigate the effects of physical activity on the mental health of female military police officers from the 1st Military Police Battalion of Paraná (1st BPM) in the city of Ponta Grossa-PR. The methodology adopted in this research is quantitative-qualitative, carried out in the city of Ponta Grossa – PR, in the 1st BPM. A questionnaire (Google Forms) was used as an instrument for data collection, and the subjects participating in the research totaled 37 female state military personnel, working in the field of study. The collected data were analyzed in a quantitative and qualitative way, according to data triangulation (Triviños, 2008), resulting in four (4) categories for analysis: (1) Physical Activity Habits (2) Mental Health; (3) Perception of the Benefits of Physical Activity for Mental Health and; (4) Public Policies for Mental Health. It was identified that although there is recognition of the negative impacts of police activity on mental health, existing public policies and institutional actions are still perceived as insufficient to meet the specific demands of these professionals. The main difficulties are related to the high workload, double shifts, constant exposure to risk and lack of adequate psychological support. On the other hand, the data demonstrated that the practice of physical activity is widely valued by participants, being recognized as an effective tool for relieving stress, improving mood, sleep quality and performance at work. Keywords: Physical Activity. Mental health. Female Police Officer. PMPR.