Browsing by Author "Andres, Elizabeth"

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Open Access
Canadian Provincial and Territorial Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well-Being Study (CWMH): Navigating Practical and Unanticipated Methodological Challenges
(SAGE Publications, 2024-10-08) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Andres, Elizabeth; Johnston, Matthew S.; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Dorniani, Sahar; Carbonell, Marina; Bennett, Brittany; Hozempa, Kadie; Coulling, Ryan; Cassiano, Marcella Siqueira; Afifi, Tracie O.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Previous research assessing correctional worker (CW) mental health has seldom assessed for differences based on jurisdiction or diverse occupational categories. The current study was designed to provide a nuanced quantitative examination of mental health disorder prevalence and related problems among CWs and to qualitatively explore the varying social contexts surrounding CW well-being. We reflect on how we overcame unanticipated challenges and disruptions (e.g., technology, COVID-19 pandemic) throughout the design, launch, and analysis of the survey, and illustrate how our national study, driven by a rigorous methodological approach and collaborative research design, builds on the extant CW mental health and wellness literature.
Open Access
CCWORK Protocol: The longitudinal study of Canadian Correctional Workers’ Wellbeing, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2021-10-26) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Andres, Elizabeth; Mitchell, Meghan; Quirion, Bastien; Groll, Dianne; Adorjan, Michael; Cassiano, Marcella Siqueira; Shewmake, James; Herzog-Evans, Martine; Moran, Dominique; Spencer, Dale, C.; Genest, Christine; Czarnuch, Stephen; Gacek, James; Cramm, Heidi; Maier, Katharina; Phoenix, Jo; Weinrath, Michael; MacDermid, Joy C.; McKinnon, Margaret; Haynes, Stacy; Arnold, Helen; Turner, Jennifer; Eriksson, Anna; Heber, Alexandra; Anderson, Gregory S.; MacPhee, Renée, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Introduction Knowledge about the factors that contribute to the correctional officer’s (CO) mental health and well-being, or best practices for improving the mental health and well-being of COs, have been hampered by the dearth of rigorous longitudinal studies. In the current protocol, we share the approach used in the Canadian Correctional Workers’ Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge study (CCWORK), designed to investigate several determinants of health and well-being among COs working in Canada’s federal prison system.
Open Access
Fit for public safety: Informing attitudes and practices tied to the hiring of public safety personnel
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2019-09-25) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Andres, Elizabeth; Kaur, Navjotpal; Czarnuch, Stephen; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Recent recognition that public safety personnel (PSP) have a high prevalence of mental disorders has initiated a discussion around PSP mental readiness for their work. The discussions have raised new interest in potential protective factors or characteristics of PSP that may be identifiable at recruitment and used to mitigate mental disorders among high-exposure occupations. We draw on a pan-Canada study of mental disorder prevalence to understand the personal characteristics and factors that a sample of active PSP believe will impact the occupational success of recruits. We situate our work within the broader discussion of the expression of a shared responsibility between PSP recruits and PSP organizations, exploring how PSP perceive and describe hiring practices across public safety occupations. Our results indicate that accountability is currently placed on individual PSP to fully understand, in advance, the complexities and pressures inherent to their occupation. Accordingly, participants expressed a need for more scrupulous screening processes designed to recruit candidates who are ‘fit’ for the job, along with a belief that some recruits could be considered ‘unfit’ for employment, such as persons without an innate mental capability for PSP work. Cautions around unpacking the consequences versus ‘perceived’ need to properly screen individuals for their suitability as a PSP are discussed as well as the expressed co-responsibility of potential PSP and PSP organizations during hiring to learn about the job as a means to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the future PSP workforce.
Open Access
Provincial and territorial correctional service workers: A Canadian national and jurisdictional assessment of mental health
(2024-03-07) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Carleton, R. Nicholas; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Dorniani, Sahar; Johnston, Matthew S.; Carbonell, Marina; Coulling, Ryan; Andres, Elizabeth; Afifi, Tracie O.
Purpose: Canadian correctional workers (CWs) experience substantial challenges with mental health, but prev- alence estimates have been limited across provincial and territorial services. Methods: Participating CWs from all 13 provincial and territorial services (n = 3740) self-selected to complete an online mental health and well-being survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics and symptoms of several mental disorders. Participants worked as correctional officers, community operations (e.g., probation officers), institutional operations (e.g., program officers), community administrators (e.g., managers), institutional or regional headquarters administrators, or institutional management (e.g., superintendents). Results: Across Canada, participants screened positive for one or more mental disorders (57.9%), with several regional differences (ps < 0.05). Correctional officers reported more positive screens than other CWs (ps < 0.05). Years of service and being married were inversely related with mental health (ps < 0.05). Conclusions: The current results suggest provincial and territorial CWs report mental health challenges much more frequently than the diagnostic prevalence for the general public (10.1%) and need additional supports. Unexpectedly, there were absent elevations associated with data collected after the onset of COVID-19
Open Access
Provincial Correctional Service Workers: The Prevalence of Mental Disorders
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020-03-25) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Mitchell, Meghan; Andres, Elizabeth; Afifi, Tracie O.
Correctional service employees in Ontario, Canada (n = 1487) began an online survey available from 2017 to 2018 designed to assess the prevalence and correlates of mental health challenges. Participants who provided data for the current study (n = 1032) included provincial staff working in institutional wellness (e.g., nurses) (n = 71), training (e.g., program officers) (n = 26), governance (e.g., superintendents) (n = 82), correctional officers (n = 553), administration (e.g., record keeping) (n = 25 ), and probation officers (n = 144, parole officers). Correctional officers, workers in institutional administration and governance positions, and probation officers reported elevated risk for mental disorders, most notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder. Among institutional correctional staff, 61.0% of governance employees, 59.0% of correctional officers, 43.7% of wellness staff, 50.0% of training staff, and 52.0% of administrative staff screened positive for one or more mental disorders. In addition, 63.2% of probation officers screened positive for one or more mental disorders. Women working as correctional officers were more likely to screen positive than men (p < 0.05). Across all correctional occupational categories positive screens for each disorder were: 30.7% for PTSD, 37.0% for major depressive disorder, 30.5% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 58.2% for one or more mental disorders. Participants between ages 40 and 49 years, working in institutional governance, as an institutional correctional officer, or as a probational officer, separated or divorced, were all factors associated (p < 0.05) with screening positive for one or more mental disorders. The prevalence of mental health challenges for provincial correctional workers appears to be higher than federal correctional workers in Canada and further supports the need for evidence-based mental health solutions.
Open Access
Provincial Correctional Service Workers: The Prevalence of Mental Disorders
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020-03-25) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Mitchell, Meghan; Andres, Elizabeth; Afifi, Tracie O.
Correctional service employees in Ontario, Canada (n = 1487) began an online survey available from 2017 to 2018 designed to assess the prevalence and correlates of mental health challenges. Participants who provided data for the current study (n = 1032) included provincial staff working in institutional wellness (e.g., nurses) (n = 71), training (e.g., program officers) (n = 26), governance (e.g., superintendents) (n = 82), correctional officers (n = 553), administration (e.g., record keeping) (n = 25 ), and probation officers (n = 144, parole officers). Correctional officers, workers in institutional administration and governance positions, and probation officers reported elevated risk for mental disorders, most notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder. Among institutional correctional staff, 61.0% of governance employees, 59.0% of correctional officers, 43.7% of wellness staff, 50.0% of training staff, and 52.0% of administrative staff screened positive for one or more mental disorders. In addition, 63.2% of probation officers screened positive for one or more mental disorders. Women working as correctional officers were more likely to screen positive than men (p < 0.05). Across all correctional occupational categories positive screens for each disorder were: 30.7% for PTSD, 37.0% for major depressive disorder, 30.5% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 58.2% for one or more mental disorders. Participants between ages 40 and 49 years, working in institutional governance, as an institutional correctional officer, or as a probational officer, separated or divorced, were all factors associated (p < 0.05) with screening positive for one or more mental disorders. The prevalence of mental health challenges for provincial correctional workers appears to be higher than federal correctional workers in Canada and further supports the need for evidence-based mental health solutions.