TY - JOUR
T1 - The Assessment of Resilience and Burnout in Correctional Officers
AU - Klinoff, Vera A.
AU - Van Hasselt, Vincent B.
AU - Black, Ryan A.
PY - 2018/8/1
Y1 - 2018/8/1
N2 - Despite the awareness of occupational stress in first responders, virtually no investigations have focused on correctional officer resilience. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify whether personal strengths (i.e., hope, optimism, social support) are associated with increased resilience, (b) determine the extent to which resilience protects against job burnout, and (c) ascertain whether resilience mediates the negative relationship between personal strengths and reduced burnout. Correctional officers (N = 300) were randomly selected across five detention facilities. Meditational analyses examined the relationship between personal strengths and burnout, through the construct of resilience. Results revealed hope, optimism, and social support are significantly associated with reduced burnout, and that this relationship is mediated by resilience. These results suggest that personal strengths can reduce burnout in correctional officers by increasing resilience. This is the first study to examine the effects of these positive psychology variables on burnout in a correctional officer population.
AB - Despite the awareness of occupational stress in first responders, virtually no investigations have focused on correctional officer resilience. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify whether personal strengths (i.e., hope, optimism, social support) are associated with increased resilience, (b) determine the extent to which resilience protects against job burnout, and (c) ascertain whether resilience mediates the negative relationship between personal strengths and reduced burnout. Correctional officers (N = 300) were randomly selected across five detention facilities. Meditational analyses examined the relationship between personal strengths and burnout, through the construct of resilience. Results revealed hope, optimism, and social support are significantly associated with reduced burnout, and that this relationship is mediated by resilience. These results suggest that personal strengths can reduce burnout in correctional officers by increasing resilience. This is the first study to examine the effects of these positive psychology variables on burnout in a correctional officer population.
KW - correctional officers
KW - stress
KW - burnout
KW - resilience
KW - protective factors
KW - assessment
UR - https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/1608
U2 - /10.1177%2F0093854818778719
DO - /10.1177%2F0093854818778719
M3 - Article
SN - 1552-3594
VL - 45
JO - Criminal Justice and Behavior
JF - Criminal Justice and Behavior
ER -