Browsing by Author "Taillieu, Tamara L."

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Open Access
A Canadian national study of provincial and territorial correctional workers' suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts
(Wiley, 2024-09-14) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Carleton, R. Nicholas; Johnston, Matthew S.; Dorniani, Sahar; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Afifi, Tracie O.
AbstractCorrectional workers (CWs) endure several operational stressors (e.g., exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events) and organisational stressors (e.g., shift work, staff shortages), which are associated with positive screens for mental disorders and self‐reports of suicidal behaviours and thus urgently warrant further inquiry. The Canadian Provincial and Territorial Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well‐Being Study (CWMH) used an online survey to collect data from Canadian correctional service organisations across all 13 provinces and territories. This national Canadian study investigates suicidal behaviours among CWs across diverse occupational roles and provincial and territorial jurisdictions (n = 3740, 50.1% female). The results estimated prevalence proportions for self‐reported past‐year and lifetime suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts across the 13 Canadian provincial and territorial correctional systems, with the exceptions of past‐year suicidal planning in Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Yukon where jurisdictional considerations and requests precluded the inclusion of select questions. Substantial proportions of participants reported past‐year or lifetime suicidal ideation (i.e., 9.1%, 29.2%, respectively), planning (i.e., 4.1%, 14.7%, respectively), or attempts (i.e., 0.8%, 7.2%, respectively). Sociodemographic variables (i.e., sex, age, marital status, total years of service, occupational category) were associated with past‐year and lifetime suicidal behaviours. Findings provide opportunities for future research and can inform tailored efforts by clinicians, service providers, and organisational leaders to support proactive interventions and treatments, including supporting the partners and families of CWs, fostering social support networks, and improving access to timely mental health treatment.
Open Access
Anxiety-related psychopathology and chronic pain comorbidity among public safety personnel
(Elsevier, 2018-03-28) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Turner, Sarah; El-Gabalawy, Renée; Sareen, Jitender; Asmundson, Gordon J.G.
Canadian Public Safety Personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional service officers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers) regularly experience potentially traumatic, painful, and injurious events. Such exposures increase risk for developing mental disorders and chronic pain, which both involve substantial personal and social costs. The interrelationship between mental disorders and chronic pain is well-established, and both can be mutually maintaining; accordingly, understanding the relationship between mental health and chronic pain among PSP is important for improving health care. Unfortunately, the available research on such comorbidity for PSP is sparse. The current study was designed to provide initial estimates of comorbidities between mental disorders and chronic pain across diverse PSP. Participants included 5093 PSP (32% women) in six categories (i.e., Call Center Operators/Dispatchers, Correctional Workers, Firefighters, Municipal/Provincial Police, Paramedics, Royal Canadian Mounted Police) who participated in a large PSP mental health survey. The survey included established self-report measures for mental disorders and chronic pain. In the total sample, 23.1% of respondents self-reported clinically significant comorbid concerns with both mental disorders and chronic pain. The results indicated PSP who reported chronic pain were significantly more likely to screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder. There were differences between PSP categories; but, the most consistent indications of comorbidity were for chronic pain, PTSD, and major depressive disorder. Comorbidity between chronic pain and mental disorders among PSP is prevalent. Health care providers should regularly assess PSP for both symptom domains.
Open Access
Assessing Relative Stressors and Mental Disorders among Canadian Provincial Correctional Workers
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021-09-23) Konyk, Katy; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Afifi, Tracie O.; Groll, Dianne; Carleton, R. Nicholas
In the current study, we quantified the mean stress levels of 43 occupational stressors for 868 Correctional Workers (CWs) and analyzed the relationships between occupational stressors, exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs), and mental health disorders. Our findings emphasize the importance of the occupational environment in relation to CW mental health and indicate that occupational stressors (e.g., staff shortages, inconsistent leadership style, bureaucratic red tape) are more salient contributors to CW mental health than exposure to PPTEs. Finding strategies to ameliorate staff shortages, improve leadership style and communication, and support CWs to maintain physical, mental, and social well-being would be interventions tied to significant organizational and operational stressors within the current study.
Open Access
Assessing the Relative Impact of Diverse Stressors Among Public Safety Personnel
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020-02-14) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Turner, Sarah; Mason, Julia, E.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; McCreary, Donald, R.; Vaughan, Adam D.; Anderson, Gregory S.; McCreary, Rachel; Donnelly, Elizabeth, A.; Camp, Ronald D.; Groll, Dianne; Cramm, Heidi; MacPhee, Renée, S.; Griffiths, Curt T.
Public Safety Personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers and officers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and public safety communications officials (e.g., call center operators/dispatchers)) are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). PSP also experience other occupational stressors, including organizational (e.g., staff shortages, inconsistent leadership styles) and operational elements (e.g., shift work, public scrutiny). The current research quantified occupational stressors across PSP categories and assessed for relationships with PPTEs and mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression). The participants were 4820 PSP (31.7% women) responding to established self-report measures for PPTEs, occupational stressors, and mental disorder symptoms. PPTEs and occupational stressors were associated with mental health disorder symptoms (ps < 0.001). PSP reported substantial difficulties with occupational stressors associated with mental health disorder symptoms, even after accounting for diverse PPTE exposures. PPTEs may be inevitable for PSP and are related to mental health; however, leadership style, organizational engagement, stigma, sleep, and social environment are modifiable variables that appear significantly related to mental health.
Open Access
Associations Between Trauma Exposure and Physical Health Conditions Among Public Safety Personnel.
(Canadian Psychiatric Association, 2020-04-10) Sommer, Jordana; El-Gabalawy, Renée; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Afifi, Tracie O.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
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
Child Maltreatment History, Deployment-Related Traumatic Events, and Past 12-Month Cannabis Use Among Veterans in Canada
(Sage, 2023-08-11) Afifi, Tracie O.; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Salmon, Samantha; Stewart-Tufescu, Ashley; Sareen, Jitender; Enns, Murray W.; Mota, Natalie; Bolton, Shay-Lee; Carleton, R. Nicholas; Heber, Alexandra; VanTil, Linda
Objective Cannabis use among veterans in Canada is an understudied public health priority. The current study examined cannabis use prevalence and the relationships between child maltreatment histories and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) with past 12-month cannabis use including sex differences among Canadian veterans. Method Data were drawn from the 2018 Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (response rate 68.7%; veterans only n = 1,992). Five child maltreatment types and 9 types of DRTEs were assessed in relation to the past 12-month cannabis use. Results The prevalence of lifetime and past 12-month cannabis use was 49.4% and 16.7%, respectively. Females were less likely than males to report lifetime cannabis use (41.9% vs. 50.4%; odds ratio [OR] 0.71; 95% CI, – 0.59 to 0.86). No sex differences were noted for past 12-month cannabis use (14.1% vs. 17.0%; OR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.07). Physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, any child maltreatment, most individual DRTEs, and any DRTE were associated with increased odds of past 12-month cannabis use after adjusting for sociodemographic and military variables. Some models were attenuated and/or nonsignificant after further adjustments for mental disorders and chronic pain conditions. Sex did not statistically significantly moderate these relationships. Cumulative effects of having experienced both child maltreatment and DRTEs compared to DRTEs alone increased the odds of past 12-month cannabis use. Statistically significant interaction effects between child maltreatment history and DRTE on cannabis use were not found. Conclusions Child maltreatment histories and DRTEs increased the likelihood of past 12-month cannabis use among Canadian veterans. A history of child maltreatment, compared to DRTEs, indicated a more robust relationship. Understanding the links between child maltreatment, DRTEs, and cannabis use along with mental disorders and chronic pain conditions is important for developing interventions and improving health outcomes among veterans.
Open Access
Chronic pain among public safety personnel in Canada
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2017-12-18) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.; Turner, Sarah; Taillieu, Tamara L.; El-Gabalawy, Renée; Sareen, Jitender; Asmundson, Gordon J.G.
Chronic pain is highly prevalent in the general population and may be even higheramong public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional officers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics,police). Comprehensive data on chronic pain among diverse Canadian PSP are relatively sparse.Aims: The current study was designed to provide initial estimates of chronic pain frequencyand severity among Canadian PSP.
Open Access
Mental Disorder Symptoms among Public Safety Personnel in Canada
(SAGE Publications, 2017-08-28) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.; Turner, Sarah; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Duranceau, Sophie; LeBouthillier, Daniel, M.; Sareen, Jitender; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; MacPhee, Renée, S.; Groll, Dianne; Hozempa, Kadie; Brunet, Alain; Weekes, John R.; Griffiths, Curt T.; Abrams, Kelly J.; Jones, Nicholas A.; Beshai, Shadi; Cramm, Heidi; Dobson, Keith S.; Hatcher, Simon; Keane, Terence M.; Stewart, Sherry H.; Asmundson, Gordon J.G.
Canadian public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers) are exposed to potentially traumatic events as a function of their work. Such exposures contribute to the risk of developing clinically significant symptoms related to mental disorders. The current study was designed to provide estimates of mental disorder symptom frequencies and severities for Canadian PSP.
Open Access
Mental Health and Well-Being among Children of Public Safety Personnel in Canada
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-10-28) Stelnicki, Andrea, M.; Jamshidi, Laleh; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.
Public safety personnel (PSP) often experience stress due to their occupational demands that affect the family environment (e.g., work-family conflict, marital breakdown, disruption to home routines, and holidays). A substantial base of research has focused on the impact of PSP work on the marital relationship, but fewer studies have focused specifically on children’s functioning within PSP families. The current study investigated mental health, well-being, and functioning among children of PSP in Canada, as reported by PSP. Data were collected between 2016 and 2017 as part of a large pan-Canadian study of PSP. Participants (n = 2092; 72.5% women) were PSP parents who responded to questions about their 4- to 17-year-old children. Overall, a substantial proportion of PSP parents reported their children have at least some difficulties with sadness (15.4%), worries and fear (22.0%), disobedience or anger (22.0%), attention (21.0%), and friendships (11.4%). Firefighters reported the fewest problems among their children compared to other PSP groups. Almost 40% of participants indicated that their child’s problems were related to their work as a PSP. The results highlight the need to find ways to identify children that are struggling and provide support to those families. Organizations and PSP leadership should develop and prioritize efforts to support families of PSP members, with the likely outcome of enhancing PSP member well-being.
Open Access
Mental Health Training, Attitudes Towards Support, and Screening Positive for Mental Disorders
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2019-02-22) Carleton, R. Nicholas; Afifi, Tracie O.; Turner, Sarah; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Vaughan, Adam V.; Anderson, Gregory S.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; MacPhee, Renée, S.; Cramm, Heidi; Czarnuch, Stephen; Hozempa, Kadie; Camp, Ronald D.
Public Safety Personnel (PSP; e.g. correctional workers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police) are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Several mental health training program categories (e.g. critical incident stress management (CISM), debriefing, peer support, psychoeducation, mental health first aid, Road to Mental Readiness [R2MR]) exist as efforts to minimize the impact of exposures, often using cognitive behavioral therapy model content, but with limited effectiveness research. The current study assessed PSP perceptions of access to professional (i.e. physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, employee assistance programs, chaplains) and non-professional (i.e. spouse, friends, colleagues, leadership) support, and associations between training and mental health. Participants included 4,020 currently serving PSP participants. Data were analyzed using cross-tabulations and logistic regressions. Most PSP reported access to professional and non-professional support; nevertheless, most would first access a spouse (74%) and many would never, or only as a last resort, access professional support (43–60%) or PSP leaders (67%). Participation in any mental health training category was associated with lower (p < .01) rates for some, but not all, mental disorders, with no robust differences across categories. Revisions to training programs may improve willingness to access professional support; in the interim, training and support for PSP spouses and leaders may also be beneficial.
Open Access
Pervasive Uncertainty under Threat: Mental Health Disorders and Experiences of Uncertainty for Correctional Workers
(SAGE Publications, 2022-07) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Mitchell, Meghan; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Angehrn, Andréanne; Afifi, Tracie O.
Exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events for correctional workers is high. However, the mechanisms driving the high prevalence are relatively unexplained. Using data from a cross-sectional, online survey of correctional service workers (n = 845) in Ontario, Canada, collected in 2017–2018, we assess the prevalence of mental disorders with a specific focus on uncertainty in the workplace and between correctional roles. We find that correctional officers, institutional governance, and probation/parole officers appear most at risk of mental disorders (prevalence of any mental disorder was 56.9%, 60.3%, and 59.2%, respectively). We argue slightly lower prevalence among institutional wellness, training, and administrative staff may result in part from their more predictable work environment, where they have more control. The results reaffirm a need for evidence-based proactive mental health activities, knowledge translation, and treatment and a need to explore how authority without control (i.e., unpredictability at work) can inform employee mental health.
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.
Open Access
Public Safety Personnel's interpretations of potentially traumatic events
(Oxford University Press, 2020-02-10) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Czarnuch, Stephen; Afifi, Tracie O.; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Background Many public safety personnel (PSP) experience trauma directly or indirectly in their occupational role, yet there remain barriers to accessing care or seeking help.
Open Access
Sleep quality and mental disorder symptoms among correctional workers in Ontario, Canada
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024-06-28) Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Taillieu, Tamara L.; McElheran, Megan; Cramm, Heidi; Ajith, Harsha; Johnston, Matthew S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Correctional workers (CWs) report high levels of work stressors, frequent exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs), and substantial mental health challenges. There is evidence of associations between sleep disturbances and diverse mental health challenges, including preliminary evidence from public safety personnel; however, replications and extensions would better inform interventions to support mental health. The current study was designed to examine associations between quality of sleep, work stress, and mental health disorders in a sample of diverse CWs employed in a provincial correctional service in Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed from 943 CWs who participated in the cross-sectional, web-based Ontario Provincial Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well-Being Study conducted from December 2017 to June 2018. Sleep quality indicators included symptoms of insomnia, total hours of sleep per night on work nights and off-shift nights, number of days feeling rested per week, and overall sleep quality. Descriptive statistics, analyses of variance, correlational analyses, and logistic regression were used to examine relationships among sleep quality, stress of shift work, and mental health disorder symptoms. CWs slept an average of 6.0 h per night when working and 7.2 h during off-shift nights. CWs reported waking up feeling rested an average of 2.6 days per week and rated their overall quality of sleep in the fair to poor range. Many CWs (64.9%) screened positive for clinically significant symptoms of insomnia. There were also differences across occupational groups such that CWs working as correctional officers reported the most sleep problems. There were statistically significant relationships between insomnia and mental health disorder symptoms. Higher levels of stress from shift work were associated with worse sleep quality. CWs, especially those working as correctional officers in a provincial prison, reported many indicators consistent with poorer quality of sleep. Poor quality of sleep was also associated with work stress and mental health disorders.
Open Access
Understanding PTSD among correctional workers in Manitoba, Canada: Key considerations of social variables
(Wiley, 2023-06) McKendy, Laura; Taillieu, Tamara L.; Johnston, Matthew S.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Carleton, R. Nicholas
Mounting evidence highlights the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among correctional workers. The current analysis draws on survey response data to present a social profile of correctional workers in the province of Manitoba (n = 580), Canada, who screened positive for PTSD (n = 196). We examined demographic information, professional history information, and adverse work exposure experiences, as well as treatment and support patterns. The analysis was not intended to identify correlates of PTSD development among correctional workers, but did identify the characteristics, professional and personal situations, and treatment experiences of correctional workers who screened positive for PTSD. The results highlight the multidimensional nature of work stressors, the pronounced problem of work–life conflict, and variations in seeking supports and treatments. Generally, participants screening positive for PTSD reported higher exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events, higher environmental or occupational stressors at work, and many had prior work experience as public safety personnel. Correctional workers who screened positive for PTSD appeared more likely to access mental health supports. Promoting proactive support seeking for mental health treatment may help to mitigate the severity, frequency, stigma, and length of mental health challenges among correctional workers.