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

BACKGROUND: 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. OBJECTIVE: 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. METHODS: 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: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.