Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Job Burnout Among Jail Officers

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom prevalence and health characteristics among jail correctional officers, a generally understudied population of public safety workers. Method: A Conservation of Resources (COR)-inspired framework explored relationships to PTSD symptoms among jail officers (N = 320) employed in Midwest US jails. Results: More than half (53.4%) of jail officers screened positively for PTSD. Hierarchical regression analysis indicates that burnout was a significant predictor of symptoms of PTSD (B = 0.25, P < 0.001). Self-efficacy (B = -0.42, P < 0.01), emotional labor (B = 0.20, P < 0.01), and an anxiety- or depression-related diagnosis (B = 0.92, P < 0.001) remained significant predictors of PTSD-related symptoms in the final step. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potentially high prevalence and impact of PTSD among jail officers, and offer implications for public safety workplace health interventions.