Influence of burnout on the health of prison workers.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates differences in health (Somatic Symptoms, Anxiety / Insomnia, Social Dysfunction and Severe Depression) relating to professional burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal fulfillment) suffered by prison staff, taking into account the workplace where they perform their activities (therapeutic vs. non therapeutic modules).

METHODS

The participants consisted of 222 workers of both sexes, with ages ranging from 18 to 60 years, working in different prisons in Spain (Educational and Therapeutic Modules, N = 1001; Non Educational and Therapeutic Modules = 121). The tools used were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) of Goldberg and Hillier (1979) and the burnout Inventory of Maslach and Jackson (1981). A mean comparison was performed using Student’s t test along with a linear regression analysis, differentiating between Educational and Therapeutic Modules and Non Educational and Therapeutic Modules.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between both clusters and predictive values of burnout factors for the different health levels in both prison models were identified. Possible explanations for the findings and the implications for intervention are discussed.