TY - JOUR
T1 - Burnout among Danish prison personnel
T2 - A question of quantitative and emotional demands
AU - Andersen, Dorte Raaby
AU - Andersen, Lars Peter
AU - Gadegaard, Charlotte Ann
AU - Høgh, Annie
AU - Prieur, Annick
AU - Lund, Thomas
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Objectives The objective of this follow-up study was to investigate associations between individual, occupational and work environment factors and burnout among both uniformed and non-uniformed personnel working in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. Methods The participants (N = 4808) with client contact received a questionnaire in 2010 and again in 2011. In 2010, 2843 participants responded to the questionnaire (59.1%), and in 2011, 1741 responded to the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 61.2% of the baseline population, and 36.2% of the invited population. Burnout and work characteristics were measured with validated scales from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, and data was analysed by logistic regression. Results Risk factors with the highest impact on burnout were work environmental factors: quantitative demands, emotional demands, involvement in and meaning of work. Role conflict, role clarity, social support and demands for hiding emotions had borderline significance. Besides cohabitation, there was no association between individual factors and burnout or between occupational characteristics and burnout. Moreover, there was no association between exposure to threats and violence and burnout. Conclusions: Efforts for preventing burnout ought to be concentrated on reducing the quantitative job-demands, on easing and improving staff–inmate relationships, but also on involvement in and meaning of work. Most work in prison is invisible and the overall goals are in conflict with each other. Management must provide solutions to problems of role conflict and support groups for social support. There is a risk of burnout among both uniformed personnel and non-uniformed personnel working in both open and closed facilities.
AB - Objectives The objective of this follow-up study was to investigate associations between individual, occupational and work environment factors and burnout among both uniformed and non-uniformed personnel working in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. Methods The participants (N = 4808) with client contact received a questionnaire in 2010 and again in 2011. In 2010, 2843 participants responded to the questionnaire (59.1%), and in 2011, 1741 responded to the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 61.2% of the baseline population, and 36.2% of the invited population. Burnout and work characteristics were measured with validated scales from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, and data was analysed by logistic regression. Results Risk factors with the highest impact on burnout were work environmental factors: quantitative demands, emotional demands, involvement in and meaning of work. Role conflict, role clarity, social support and demands for hiding emotions had borderline significance. Besides cohabitation, there was no association between individual factors and burnout or between occupational characteristics and burnout. Moreover, there was no association between exposure to threats and violence and burnout. Conclusions: Efforts for preventing burnout ought to be concentrated on reducing the quantitative job-demands, on easing and improving staff–inmate relationships, but also on involvement in and meaning of work. Most work in prison is invisible and the overall goals are in conflict with each other. Management must provide solutions to problems of role conflict and support groups for social support. There is a risk of burnout among both uniformed personnel and non-uniformed personnel working in both open and closed facilities.
KW - Follow-up study
KW - mental health
KW - prison
KW - work environment
U2 - 10.1177/1403494817718644
DO - 10.1177/1403494817718644
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 28730915
AN - SCOPUS:85038356195
SN - 1403-4948
VL - 45
SP - 824
EP - 830
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
IS - 8
ER -
