Correctional Employee Wellness Monograph

death so prevalent in correctional settings, only half of cor- rectional officers surveyed felt safe at their workplace. 14 The effects these workplace stressors have on cor- rectional officer mental health cannot be denied. While Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) rates in the general population stand around 4%, rates of GAD symptoms reached between 32% and 60% in a recent survey of custody and non-custody staff at a variety of state insti- tutions. 15 This anxiety can affect correctional officers’ personal lives in the form of sleep disorders, such as night- mares, and distrust towards family and friends. 14 Similarly, symptomatology of depression is common, as about 1 in 3 correctional officers state someone in their lives has told them they have become more anxious or depressed since starting work in corrections, 1 in 3 report feeling down, de- pressed or hopeless, and about 1 in 3 find little interest or pleasure in various activities. 17 Even more seriously, sever- al surveys show suicidal ideation rates among correctional officers are about double that of the general population. 16, 18 This rate only increases after retirement, supporting the notion the negative effects of correctional workplace stress do not resolve at shift or even career completion. 17 The frequent crises, austere environment and volatile nature of correctional work affects the employee not only mentally, but physically. Long hours on their feet, con- stant high levels of noise and the demanding nature of the job leave correctional employees more likely to exhibit headaches, stomach aches and back pain compared to their counterparts. 19 Although in a physically demanding job, over 40% of correctional officers are overweight or obese, with higher levels associated with job tenure and male gender. Similarly, hypertension rates of both male and female officers (31% and 26%, respectively) reach almost double that of the general public (17% in males and 15% in females). These elevated levels of hypertension may be a reflection of elevated stress levels regarding security, administrative requirements and work/family life imbal- ance. 20 In addition, constant fatigue can be unrelenting, even after sleeping — especially in those who feel unsafe at work. 16 With the physical and mental health of correctional professionals suffering, many correctional institutions have been providing some types of resources for their employees in the form of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Typically, these programs assist employees in ac- cessing professional counseling services, critical incident

debriefing and peer support. 21 As these wellness programs expand, many now include resources to address physi- cal fitness, nutrition, marriage and family counseling and more. For decades, attention has been focused on EAP resources for law enforcement. 22,23 However, little research has been completed regarding the efficacy of such pro- gramming in the corrections field. In a 2019 meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of well-being interventions for correctional officers, only 71 studies were found to ad- dress a true correctional employee wellness program. After eliminating articles with either no intervention provided, no outcomes reported, or no relevant outcomes, only nine articles were found to have truly and empirically reported sufficient data. 24 With the studies ranging from 1986 to 2013, decades of research was included. Although no ef- fect was found through meta-analyses, several of the most recent studies did show a variety of wellness programming successes. One study delivering several brief, group- format stress management trainings, found significant stress reduction in officers of facilities with a high rate of inmate turnover, such as jails. 25 A second study recorded pre- and post-intervention data after they “delivered the ‘Power to Change Performance’ program, a five- module group-format stress reduction program delivered across two consecutive days. This program incorporated

Photo courtesy Arlington County Sheriff’s Office

4