ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Anxiety and Stress Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1580673
Understanding the Interplay Between Stress, Anxiety, and Depression and Their Impact on Health in Traffic Police Officers
Provisionally accepted
Carlos Ramos-Galarza1*
Fiamma Flores1Taysha Argoti1
Diego D. Díaz-Guerra2
Marena de la Caridad Hernández Lugo2
Yunier Broche-Pérez3- 1Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
- 2Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
- 3Prisma Behavioral Center, Florida, USA, Florida, United States
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Background: Traffic police officers are frequently exposed to stress, anxiety, and depression, which adversely impact their health. This study hypothesized that these factors influence the hormonal, muscular, digestive, and cognitive systems of traffic police officers. Methods: The sample comprised 146 traffic police officers (42 women and 104 men) aged 30 to 38. Gender differences in symptoms were examined, and model fit was assessed using indicators such as chi-square, comparative fit index, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and standardized root means residual (SRMR). Results: Gender differences were observed, with women reporting more significant issues related to muscular (t = 2.77, p = .003), hormonal (t = 2.29, p = .001), and cognitive symptoms (t = 1.37, p = .08). The models demonstrated a good fit, particularly in the model examining digestive symptoms (CFI .95, RMSEA .06 (.05 - .08), SRMR .04). Conclusions: The findings indicate a substantial impact of stress, anxiety, and depression on traffic police officers' health. Psychological support and monitoring are recommended at traffic police stations. Practical and academic contribution: This research offers essential academic contributions by advancing understanding of the psychophysiological effects of stress, anxiety, and depression in high-stress occupations, using predictive modeling. Practically, the findings support the development of targeted mental health interventions and preventive strategies tailored to traffic police officers, contributing to improved occupational health and job performance.
Keywords: stress, Anxiety, Depression, Health, Traffic police
Received: 21 Feb 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ramos-Galarza, Flores, Argoti, Díaz-Guerra, Lugo and Broche-Pérez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Carlos Ramos-Galarza, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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