THE POWER OF FAITH, FAMILY AND CULTURE: KEYS TO LOW SUICIDE RATES AND MENTAL RESILIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the factors contributing to low suicide rates and mental resilience of police officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, a province impacted by terrorism and revolt. This study used Interpretivism as a research philosophy, which allows the exploration of subjective meanings in the social context. Using saturation principle of sampling, we collected data through unstructured in-depth interviews from 20 police officers and analyzed their lived experiences through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings highlight religious faith, particularly Islamic beliefs and spiritual practices, as central to resilience, providing psychological relief and a sense of purpose. The strong family bonding emerged as an important factor for ensuring emotional stability and financial security. The collective cultural identity and stoicism, accompanied by community support and peer-brotherhood, also strengthen mental toughness of police officers. Though study provide valuable insights into mental resilience of police force in terrorism and trauma affected region, the region-specific focus limit the generalizability. Future research should aim to explore broader populations and develop mental health interventions in culturally tailored similar contexts.