A topography of psychiatric disorders among correction officers

This study assessed the nature, scope, and work-related impact of psychiatric disorders among correction officers. It also examined the effect of psychiatric diagnoses on occupational functioning. Medical charts of 1029 correction officers with complaints of psychological distress were reviewed for DSM-III-R diagnoses and duration of disability. Subjects evinced a wide range of psychiatric conditions, accounting for a substantial loss of full-duty workdays. The most frequently observed diagnoses were V Codes, mood and adjustment disorders. The most disabling conditions in terms of duration of disability were mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. V Codes accounted for the highest cumulative duration of disability among all officers. Results suggest that psychiatric disability among correction officers is most often a function of V-Code conditions, as opposed to major Axis I or II psychopathology.