Mental Health Status of Correctional Officers in Correctional Institutions

Abstract

ObjectivesZZThe purpose of this study was to measure the current mental health status of correctional officers by using various assessment instruments. The results of the study could help establish appropriate mental health-related solutions and policies for the officers.MethodsZZThe study enrolled 2571 correctional officers from 50 correctional facilities in South Korea in 2011. They were asked to answer or rate their occupational experiences within various investigative inventories and scales including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), the Job Satisfaction Scale by Davison and Cooper, the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI), and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSE).ResultsZZBased on MBI results, the burnout score of the correctional officers was higher than that of the other occupations. Using the KOSS data, the average occupational stress of the correctional officer was higher than that of the other occupations. The officers’ average job satisfaction score was lower than that of the other occupations. The average depression level of the correctional officers derived from K-BDI data was 9.36. The average RSE score of correctional officers was lower than that for the other occupations.ConclusionZZThis research revealed that the mental health status of correctional officers is poorer than that for other occupations. This finding emphasizes the need for a system to regularly assess the mental health status of correctional officers and to find solutions that can improve their mental health status.