[Work characteristics and health of correctional officers]

The association between the psychosocial work environment and mental health problems has been well documented over the past years. Karasek and Theorell's job strain model and Siegrist's effort/reward imbalance model have been associated to several physical and mental health problems. Moreover, in the last decade, the Quebec correctional services sector has known an important increase in sickness benefit claims for mental health problems. This study aimed to describe the psychosocial work characteristics and health of Quebec correctional officers and to determine the occupational risk factors associated to psychological distress among them.

This cross-sectional study was realized among 1034 correctional officers from 18 prisons in the province of Quebec, 668 men and 366 women. The response rate was 76%. Psychological demands, decision latitude, social support at work, reward, and psychological distress have been documented by telephone interviews during spring 2000.

Correctional officers were more exposed to adverse psychosocial factors at work than a comparable sample of Quebec workers and they reported more health problems. Results showed that the same sources of psychological distress affected men and women, but sometimes at different degrees. High psychological demands combined with low or high decision latitude, and effort/reward imbalance were associated to psychological distress independently of potential confounding factors. Among other work factors associated to the report of high psychological distress among correctional officers were low social support at work, and conflicts with colleagues and superiors.

Many adverse psychosocial factors at work were in excess among correctional officers compared to workers from the general population. These factors, also related to high levels of psychological distress, could be addressed with the goal of primary prevention of mental health problems at work.