Cortisol, testosterone and psychosocial responses in the assessment of stress in police officers: a brief systematic review of the literature

Given the nature of their profession, police officers cannot limit their exposure to stress and trauma, and the endocrine system plays a vital role in regulating and preparing the human body. This study aims to identify studies that have studied the behavior of the hormones cortisol and testosterone in their relationship with the physical and psychological performance of police officers and/or in a training/simulation scenario. The systematic review, limited from 2011 to 2022, was carried out according to the PICO and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses research strategy, considering seven articles for the critical analysis (classified based on the modified Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale). Of the seven articles considered, (i) five studies are observational, and two are experimental; (ii) 1,475 police officers participated; (iii) three studies evaluated only male participants, and four studies evaluated both sexes; (iv) most studies include salivary collections for hormonal evaluation and questionnaires for behavioral analysis and psychosocial stress; (v) a study analyses salivary collections for hormonal evaluation in response to decision-making tasks; and (vi) a study analyses blood collections for hormonal evaluation. Although studies with proven validity in the association between the hormones cortisol and testosterone and physiological and psychological are scarce, the scientific evidence is consistent and points to these endocrine markers as reliable in quantifying stress levels and performance of police function.