[Burn-out among personnel of prisons: Karasek's job demand-control model]

The main objective of the present research was to test a path model describing the effects of the dimensions of the Karasek's "job strain" model on burn-out among a sample of personnel of prisons (n=119). This model assumes that the combination of high job demands along with low decision latitude at work precipitates psychological strain and physical illness. Job demands refer to the perceived demands from job and others in the workplace. Decision latitude is an operationalization of the concept of control and has often been defined as the combination of job decision-making authority and the opportunity to use and develop skills on the job. The findings support this model. Indeed, high level of workload acts positively on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; in contrast, high level of job decisions latitude acts negatively on emotional exhaustion and positively on personnel accomplishment. Limits of this study are discussed.