Provincial correctional workers: Examining the relationships between alcohol use, mental health disorders, and suicide behaviour.

Abstract

Alcohol use among correctional workers remains an understudied phenomenon, although recognized in literature as a coping strategy employed by persons in public safety occupations. Moreover, previous literature denotes a prevalence of mental health disorders higher than that of the general population among correctional workers and public safety personnel. In the present study, we examine the prevalence of alcohol use disorders among correctional workers employed in the provincial correctional service in Ontario, Canada (n = 915), to understand the severity of the concern and to explain how alcohol use is associated with diverse mental health concerns. Specifically, we unpack the correlation between problematic alcohol use, mental health disorders, and suicide behaviours among this correctional worker population, finding that the prevalence of mental health disorders and suicide thoughts and behaviours was higher for persons reporting problematic alcohol use. Discussion includes recommendations on research needs tied to unpacking the relationship, including causal relationship between alcohol use and mental health, as a way to combat the devastating realities tied to compromised mental health endured by employees in correctional services. Public Significance StatementWe found relatively low prevalence of alcohol use disorder among provincial correctional workers, which suggests that perhaps awareness of the impacts of addiction given their work with criminalized people may be affecting alcohol use. However, mental health disorders and suicide behaviours were strongly associated with alcohol use disorders, indicating that improving the mental health and wellbeing of correctional workers remains an important public health priority. More needs to be done to disambiguate the comorbidity between alcohol use disorder and other mental health disorders among correctional workers.

“We must be mentally strong”: exploring barriers to mental health in correctional services

“…Correctional work unavoidably has negative effects on correctional worker mental health and well-being ( Boudoukha et al, 2011 ; Denof and Spinaris, 2016 ; James and Todak, 2018 ; Genest et al, 2021 ; Johnston et al, 2021 , 2022b ; McKendy et al, 2023 ; Ricciardelli et al, 2023b ). Correctional workers, whether working in prisons, the community, or administrative roles, are at an increased risk to screen positive for mental health disorders.…”