Correctional work and mental health: Examining the impact on wellbeing of operational and organizational stressors Riccardelli, R.1 PhD,; Czarnuch, S. 1 PhD, Carleton, RN.2 PhD; Anderson, G. 4 PhD, McCreary, D. PhD, & Groll, D.3 PhD Memorial University1; University of Regina2; Justice Institute of British Columbia4; Queen’s University3 BACKGROUND Correctional workers are regularly exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), which can cause operational stress injuries (OSIs). Such exposures increase risk for mental disorders involving substantial personal and social costs. In 2016, the Prime Minister of Canada mandated the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to work with the federal Minister of Health to develop a National Action Plan to address PTSD among public safety personnel (PSP).1 The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security underscored that current estimates of Canadian PSP affected by mental disorders appear insufficient. 1 An Operational Stress Injury (OSI) is defined as a clinically significant cluster of symptoms related to a mental disorder that is experienced as a result of operational duties. •OSIs can occur as a result of Potentially Traumatic Events •Example OSIs: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Purpose The current research was designed to provide estimates of the frequencies of PTE exposure within Federal correctional workers and symptoms of mental health disorders. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Nationwide web-survey of public safety personnel • The study data is a subset of 1308 Federal Correctional Officers taken from a larger study of 5813 public safety personnel of multiple professions in Canada.2 • A web-based survey in French or English included various screening measures for mental illness was distributed to PSP by the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) between September 2016 to January 2017. • Participants were asked diverse questions including assessments of exposures to stressful life events (Life Event Checklist for DSM5, LEC-5) and symptoms of PTSD (PTSD Checklist for DSM5, PCL-5), Depression and Anxiety (Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, DASS-21). 1. Oliphant RC. Healthy minds, safe communities: supporting our public safety officers through a national strategy for operational stress injuries. Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, editor. Ottawa (Canada): Standing Commit- tee on Public Safety and National Security, 2016. 2. Carleton R. et al. Mental Disorder Symptoms Among Canadian First Responders and Other Public Safety Personnel. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2018 Jan;63(1):54-64 Canadian Journal of Psychiatry; 2017 Aug 28;63(1):54–64. RESULTS RESULTS Secondary data analysis of Carleton et al.’s study data was performed to identify trends in the health and wellbeing of Canadian correctional workers. Characteristics of Surveyed Correctional Officers Sociodemographic Variables Sex Male Female Age 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 and older Occupation Category Operational (Institutional) Operational (Community) Administrative (institutional) Administrative (Community) Administrative (Regional or National Headquarters) Marital status Married/Common-law Single Separated/Divorced/Widowed Re-married Province of Residence Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB) Eastern Canada (ON, QC) Atlantic Canada (PEI, NS, NB, NFL) Northern Territories (YK, NWT, NVT) Ethnicity Caucasian Other Education High school or less Some post-secondary (less than 4 year college/university program) N %* 452 593 43.3 56.7 37 283 363 301 64 2.8 21.6 27.8 23.0 4.9 808 92 142 7 63 61.8 7.0 10.9 0.5 4.8 733 134 121 58 56.0 10.2 9.3 4.4 592 489 88 0 50.6 41.9 7.5 0 902 155 69.0 11.9 90 421 6.9 32.2 University degree/4 year college or higher Language first spoken English French Other Years of service More than 16 years 10 to 15 years 5 to 9 years Less than 4 years 519 39.7 816 199 40 62.4 15.2 3.1 816 226 234 32 62.4 17.3 17.9 2.4 *Percentages may not equal 100 due to missing or refused answer. Prevalence of recent mental disorders based on screening measures and self-report PTSD (PCL-5) Major Depressive Disorder (PHQ-9) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Social anxiety disorder (SIPS) Panic disorder (PDSS) Risky Alcohol Use (AUDIT) Any other self-reported mood disorder Any mood disorder Any anxiety disorder Any mental disorder Total Number of Mental Disorders 0 1 2 3 or more % positive 29.1 31.1 23.6 18.3 12.2 6.8 4.0 35.3 37.9 54.6 (N) (225) (235) (172) (130) (84) (47) (27) (249) (249) (336) 48.4 16.7 10.9 24.0 (279) (96) (63) (138) Suicidal Ideation Suicidal Behaviour Past Year Individuals were asked to report suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts in the past 12 months and in their lifetimes All Ideation Plan Attempt Men Ideation Plan Attempt Women Ideation Plan Attempt 11.0% 4.8% 0.4% 13.1% 6.5% * 9.5% 3.6% * In the findings from Carleton et al.’s2 study, Canadian correctional officers had the second highest reported incidence of suicidal behaviours, with paramedics reporting the highest incidence. Lifetime B All Ideation Plan Attempt Men Ideation Plan Attempt Women Ideation Plan Attempt 35.2% 20.1% 8.1% 38.1% 19.8% 7.1% 33.2% 20.7% 9.0% *Values have been suppressed to protect confidentiality due to small numbers (i.e., n<5). Chronic Pain Chronic Pain Any Chronic Pain Chronic Pain Location Lower back Shoulder Neck Arm Leg Hand Foot Headaches Other Perceived Cause of Pain Active Duty Work related but not active duty Not related to work Non-injury related pain (e.g. arthritis) % yes 45.4 26.1 18.5 21.0 12.6 16.5 13.6 15.4 18.5 6.8 24.5 11.6 20.8 14.8 High rates of chronic pain were found in the correctional officers and was correlated to feelings of depression and overall poorer mental health DISCUSSION & FUTURE DIRECTIONS Almost half (48.4%) of participants sampled reported symptoms consistent with screening positive for at least one mental disorder, with mood and anxiety disorders being most common. The current study is the only one assessing PSP in Canada and provides important insights into the needs and current mental health disparities facing Canadian correctional workers. A follow-up of the same populations will occur so that any changes in mental or physical health status can be observed.