International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Document Author: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Impact of a Total Worker Health® Mentoring Program in a Correctional Workforce

Background: Correctional Officers show signs of adverse health early in their careers. We evaluated the impact of a one-year peer health mentoring program for new officers based on
a Total Worker Health® approach; Conclusions: A continuous peer health mentoring program seemed protective to new officers in reducing burnout and also declines in BMI and hypertension. Short-term physical health markers in younger officers may not be an index of psycho-social effects. A participatory design approach is recommended for a long-term health mentoring program to be both effective and sustainable.

Using the CES-D-7 as a Screening Instrument to Detect Major Depression among the Inmate Population

The practice of prescribing in jails and prisons is often different from that in the community. Serious mental illness is common among inmates, and so are co-morbidities such as substance use, impulse-control, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and personality disorders. Operational requirements, staffing, and the physical plant of the institution may complicate the provision of treatment according to community standards. Problems related to medication nonadherence, as well as the pursuit of medications for nonmedical reasons, are often seen in these settings and may be managed differently than they are elsewhere. Existing practice resources rarely account for these challenges. Pursuant to a recommendation by the Correctional Committee of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), the AAPL Council in May 2015 approved the creation of a task force charged with producing a document on prescribing in correctional facilities.