Well-being among a sample of police officers in Ghana: analysis of emotional intelligence, resilience and stress

Police work is globally recognized as inherently stressful and closely linked to poor mental health outcomes. This was particularly evident during the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions, which intensified occupational stressors. Compared with other professions, police officers routinely encounter high-stress situations, yet the psychosocial factors that may mitigate these effects, such as emotional intelligence, resilience, and coping styles, remain underexplored, especially in developing countries. This preliminary study investigates stress levels, coping styles, emotional intelligence, and resilience among 109 police cadets enrolled at the Officer Cadet Training College in Ghana. Using self-report instruments, data were collected on job-related anxiety and depression, coping mechanisms, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Results indicated a high prevalence of job-related anxiety (53.8 per cent) and depression (67.7 per cent). Coping strategies were diverse, with 54.8 per cent utilizing avoidant coping and 58.5 per cent using approach coping. Emotional intelligence levels were generally high, with 44.9 per cent rated as high and 46.4 per cent above average. A majority (67.3 per cent) demonstrated high resilience. Significant correlations were found between resilience, job-related anxiety and depression, and emotional intelligence. Additionally, emotional intelligence was significantly associated with approach coping and lower levels of job-related depression. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating emotional and psychological skill development into police training and support programs in Ghana and similar contexts.