Impact of the Stress Suppression Processes and Counseling Strategies for Police Officers: A Qualitative Content Analysis

(1) Background: with the increasing complexity of public safety duties, police officers are frequently exposed to high-pressure, high-risk environments. They face multiple stressors, including workload demands, societal expectations, supervisory pressure, and emergencies. Such factors can impair their mental health and emotional inhibitory capacity. (2) Methods: this study explores the stress-related inhibitory control processes of police officers through a qualitative approach, including a literature review and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The research focuses on officers’ coping strategies, experiences with psychological counseling systems, and institutional mechanisms such as officer screening and emotional support structures. (3) Results: the findings reveal that police officers generally lack adequate emotional expression channels, leading to emotional dysregulation, outbursts, and burnout. Social support, supervisor attitudes, and flexible duty arrangements were identified as key stress-mitigating resources. However, the utilization of current psychological counseling services remains low, primarily due to concerns regarding stigmatization and confidentiality. (4) Conclusions: This study recommends the development of a responsive mental health support framework for police agencies, emphasizing improvements in officer selection processes, mental health training, counseling accessibility, and organizational flexibility.