Beyond the Badge: Grit, Well-Being, and Mental Health Issues of Female Police Officers

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examined the relationships among grit, well-being, and mental health among female police officers while exploring their lived experiences, occupational challenges, and coping mechanisms within the policing profession. Quantitative data were collected from 163 active-duty female police officers through standardized instruments, namely the Triarchic Model of Grit Scale (TMGS), PERMA Profiler, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42). Descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation analyses were utilized to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 female police officers and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed that female police officers generally demonstrated high levels of grit and well-being while maintaining normal levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Significant positive relationships were found between grit and well-being, whereas grit and well-being were negatively associated with mental health issues. Qualitative findings further revealed that female police officers experienced persistent work–family conflict, maternal guilt, emotional exhaustion, and secondary traumatic stress due to the demands of law enforcement and caregiving responsibilities. Despite these challenges, participants demonstrated resilience through adaptive coping strategies such as spiritual practices, social support, emotional regulation, and leisure activities. Their commitment to justice, service, and family welfare emerged as major sources of motivation and psychological strength. The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings highlights the importance of grit and well-being as protective psychological factors against occupational stress among female police officers. The study underscores the need for gender-responsive organizational support systems, trauma-informed mental health interventions, and sustainable wellness programs within police institutions to enhance resilience, psychological well-being, and career sustainability among women in law enforcement.