Types of demands and well-being in correctional officers: The protective role of psychological capital.

Abstract

Correctional officers' personal resources, such as psychological capital (PsyCap), may help them better manage their work environment in the penitentiary; however, there is limited research on the relationship between indicators of well-being and types of demands in this cohort and whether this relationship depends on PsyCap. The aim of this study was to examine three types of demands (job, personal, and group) and the effect of each on three indicators of low well-being: burnout, physical and mental health complaints. We also tested the potential moderating role of PsyCap in the relationship between the three types of demands and indicators of well-being. The potential moderating role of personal resources (PsyCap) between demands and well-being was tested via hierarchical multiple regression on a sample of 350 correctional officers. Results show that psychological capital attenuates the effect of personal distress and negative team relationships on all three indicators of low well-being. Psychological capital also moderates the relation between work-family conflict and mental health complaints. However, it does not act as a moderator between work-family conflict and burnout or physical health complaints. The findings are of value because they emphasize the importance of psychological capital, as a personal and malleable resource, for the occupational health of correctional officers.