| Abstract [eng] |
Aistė Labanauskaitė‘s master‘s thesis on the topic “Associations between correctional officers’ contact with suicidal behavior, stress coping strategies and mental health indicators”, 82 pages, thesis guide doc. Dr. Alfredas Laurinavičius, Vilnius University, Vilnius, 2026. Working in a prison increases the risk of contact with suicidal behavior of another person – self-harm, suicide attempt and suicide. Exposure to violence in the workplace is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and an increased risk of suicide (Lerman, 2022). However, there is a lack of information in literature on the associations between correctional officers’ exposure to suicidal behavior, mental health indicators and coping strategies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine how the experience of contact with suicidal behavior is associated with employees’ mental health indicators and stress coping strategies. The study included 181 prison staff members who have direct contact with prisoners: 62 (34.3%) of them were men, 115 (63.5%) were women, mean age 41.46 (SD=10.16). A convenience sampling method was used. 98 (54.1%) employees reported having encountered an inmate’s suicide in the past year, 113 (62.4%) a suicide attempt, 156 (86.2%) self-harming behavior, 73 (40.3%) talking about wanting to commit suicide. Psychological well-being, stress, anxiety, depression, suicidality, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and use of stress coping strategies were assessed. Mental health indicators of prison employees who have experienced contact with suicidal behavior are lower than those who have not experienced such contact. The use of dysfunctional stress coping strategies also contributes to poorer mental health of employees. Therefore, contact to suicidal behavior in prisons is a significant factor for the mental health of correctional officers. |
