Police work and mental health: a research with Military Police Captains / Trabalho policial e saúde mental: uma pesquisa junto aos Capitães da Polícia Militar

• Main Authors: Charlotte Beatriz Spode, Álvaro Roberto Crespo Merlo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2006-01-01
• Series: Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica
• Subjects: Police work; mental health
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-79722006000300004&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt

This article conveys a research report in which the relations between the work of Military Police Captains and their mental health were approached, arising from the aspects of this profession that generate pleasure and suffering. Three procedures were adopted as methodological strategies: Documental research, observation of daily work and interviews. The results show that in spite of the excessive administrative working load and perils inherent to the profession, the pleasure in work is related to management activities, which provide spaces for creating in the workplace. However, the pressures imposed by the disciplinary mechanism of vigilance and control, characteristics of the organization of military police work, constitute in itself a source of suffering. Since they engender the division of workers and impose barriers where bonds of cooperation and confidence are needed, aspects that are of great importance considering the nature of this type of work, permeated by risks.