New Study Highlights the Impact of Policing Culture on Women’s Health and Wellbeing
Published: 23 September 2026
New research has highlighted the impact that policing culture, organisational practices, and workplace support can have on the health and wellbeing of women working in UK police forces
Research published by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) and led by Dr Mahnoz Illias, a former PhD student at the University of Glasgow, has highlighted the impact that policing culture, organisational practices, and workplace support can have on the health and wellbeing of women working in UK police forces. The study, conducted with Professor Kathleen Riach and Dr Evangelia Demou (HEHTA), draws on Dr Illias's doctoral research at the university.
Based on evidence reviews, large-scale survey data, and interviews with current and former police officers, the research explored women’s experiences across different career and life stages.
The researchers found that gender discrimination, exclusion, and other forms of organisational injustice can negatively affect women’s mental, physical, and workplace wellbeing. Workplace social support from managers and colleagues emerged as a key protective factor, helping to reduce risks of anxiety, depression, and sickness absence.
The study also found that the effects of gendered workplace cultures can accumulate over the course of a career, influencing both wellbeing and retention. The authors call for stronger leadership training, improved gender-sensitive wellbeing policies, and better monitoring of workforce health to create more inclusive and supportive policing environments.
Read the full paper: Sworn to protect, left unprotected: a mixed-methods exploration of the gendered toll of policing on women’s health and wellbeing: https://sipr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SIPR-Briefing-Paper-MI-Final-1.pdf
First published: 23 September 2026
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