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Working conditions, work-life conflict and wellbeing in UK prison officers: the role of affective rumination and detachment

  • Gail Kinman
    ,
  • Andrew Clements
    ,
  • Jacqui Hart
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Although prison officers experience the working conditions associated with work-life conflict, little research has explored this issue. This study draws upon the work-home resources model (ten Brummelhuis & Bakker, 2012) to investigate relationships between working conditions (demands and experiences of aggression) and time-based, strain-based and behavior-based work-life conflict in UK prison officers (n = 1,682). Associations between working conditions, work-life conflict, and emotional exhaustion were also examined. Two recovery behaviors (affective rumination and detachment) were considered as potential moderators of associations between working conditions and emotional exhaustion. High levels of all work-life conflict dimensions were found which were related to working conditions and emotional exhaustion. Some evidence was found that higher rumination and lower detachment exacerbated the positive association between both job demands and aggression and emotional exhaustion. The implications of the findings for the wellbeing and professional functioning of prison officers are discussed, together with key areas for future research.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 226-239

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Criminal Justice and Behavior (Volume 44, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 25/08/2016

Publication status

Published - 25/08/2016

ISSN

0093-8548

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/621995
  • Scopus: 85009787184