Mentor/s
Dr. Pamela Valera
Participation Type
Paper Talk
Abstract
Introduction. This study examines the relationship between psychological distress, work burnout, and firearm ownership among correctional officers. Methods. Using secondary cross-sectional data, we investigated psychological distress, work burnout, and the impact of firearm ownership among 211 correctional officers (COs). Results. Psychological distress is alarmingly high across all racial/ethnic groups, with the vast majority classified as likely to have a severe mental disorder. White COs exhibit the highest mean distress scores. Over half of the COs enrolled reported owning a firearm (54.5%). Those who reported having to own a firearm tended to have higher work burnout compared to those who never and do not currently own a firearm. In the minimally adjusted models, we found COs who currently did not own a firearm had a 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.30,1.58) reduced odds with each increasing score of work burnout compared to those who never owned a firearm. Those who reported owning a firearm had an 82% (OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08,0.40) reduced odds with increasing work burnout score compared to those who never owned a firearm. In the fully adjusted model, those who owned a firearm had a 68% (OR= 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.67) with each increasing work burnout compared to never owners. Conclusion. While firearm ownership is often perceived as a means of security, our results suggest that it may exacerbate stress levels in the high-pressure environment of correctional facilities.
Academic Level
Graduate student
Location
Session 5: Digital Commons & Martire 127
Start Day/Time
4-24-2025 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-24-2025 3:15 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Best Writing
The relationship between psychological distress, work burnout, and firearm ownership among correctional officers
Session 5: Digital Commons & Martire 127
Introduction. This study examines the relationship between psychological distress, work burnout, and firearm ownership among correctional officers. Methods. Using secondary cross-sectional data, we investigated psychological distress, work burnout, and the impact of firearm ownership among 211 correctional officers (COs). Results. Psychological distress is alarmingly high across all racial/ethnic groups, with the vast majority classified as likely to have a severe mental disorder. White COs exhibit the highest mean distress scores. Over half of the COs enrolled reported owning a firearm (54.5%). Those who reported having to own a firearm tended to have higher work burnout compared to those who never and do not currently own a firearm. In the minimally adjusted models, we found COs who currently did not own a firearm had a 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.30,1.58) reduced odds with each increasing score of work burnout compared to those who never owned a firearm. Those who reported owning a firearm had an 82% (OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08,0.40) reduced odds with increasing work burnout score compared to those who never owned a firearm. In the fully adjusted model, those who owned a firearm had a 68% (OR= 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.67) with each increasing work burnout compared to never owners. Conclusion. While firearm ownership is often perceived as a means of security, our results suggest that it may exacerbate stress levels in the high-pressure environment of correctional facilities.
Students' Information
Corey Tolliver, LCSW PhD in Social Work First year candidate anticipated graduation 2028