Cross-sectional survey.
This cross-sectional study was performed in March/April 2011. The study population comprised 2185 correctional officers working in four prisons in a province in north–east China. A questionnaire that examined job burnout [three subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), cynicism (CY) and professional efficacy (PE)], work conditions, occupational stress and demographic factors was distributed to these correctional officers. In total, 1769 responses were received (response rate 81%). Multiple logistic regression was used to explore the factors related to burnout.
Mean (±standard deviation) scores were 10.59 ± 7.51 for EE, 9.65 ± 6.56 for CY and 23.90 ± 9.39 for PE. Strong extrinsic effort and reward were the most powerful predictors of job burnout; an imbalance between effort and reward at work and perceived threat was mainly associated with EE and CY, and strong overcommitment was mainly associated with EE and PE.
Chinese correctional officers experience a slightly higher level of job burnout, and this is affected by work-related stress. It is important to reduce occupational stress in correctional officers and improve disadvantageous work conditions in order to reduce burnout in this population.