The effects of depression and smoking upon the quality of life of municipal police officers

Objectives: Quality of Life (QoL) is a broad concept incorporating the person's physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment. In this study, we aimed to establish the effects of depression and the smoking status upon the quality of life among municipal police officers. Patients and Methods: : This cross-sectional study was carried out among 157 municipal police officers working at the Municipal Department of Konya. A socio-demographical information form, World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were applied. Qol was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Results: Of the participants, 99.4% (n=156) were men, 79.6% (n=125) had secondary and high school level education and they were aged between 22-57 (mean=39.33±7.29). Of the total, 117 (74.5%) were indebted and 77 (49.1%) were current smokers. Quality of life scores in the domains of physical health (p<0.001), psychological health (p<0.001), social relationships (p<0.001) and general health (p<0.001) were significantly lower among the depressive persons than the non-depressive ones. Conclusion: Approximately half of the municipal police officers had depressive symptoms and were smokers. To prevent the negative manifestations of depression and smoking that might occur in the future, it is important to understand the origins of the stresso.