The Implications of Stress Among Correctional Officers: A Summary of the Risks and Promising Intervention Strategies

This paper provides a detailed summary and discussion of the concept of stress and how it relates to the health, wellbeing, and performance of corrections officers. In line with these objectives, we focus on three areas: (1) providing a more detailed definition of the concept of stress; (2) a discussion of the ways that increased exposure to stress may impact corrections officers' physical and mental health; and (3) a summary of prevention and intervention strategies that are relevant for corrections officers and have shown promise in dampening the consequences of increased stress exposure. More in-depth knowledge of the concept of stress and the underlying processes that link stress to negative outcomes will provide policy makers and corrections departments with an understanding of the characteristics of prevention and intervention strategies that are expected to be most effective in limiting the consequences of stress.

Social Support as a Protective Factor for Alcohol Use Disorders: Results from a Nationally Representative Family History Study

AIMS

The current study examined the buffering effect of social support on the relationship between family history and alcohol use disorder symptoms (AUDsx).

METHODS

The current study analyzes data from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 34,653). Count of AUDsx were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-DSM-IV Version, the independent variable was a weighted density measure of family history of AUDsx and the moderating variable was social support measured using the 12-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between (1) family history and AUDsx and (2) social support and AUDsx. Average marginal effects were estimated to explore the buffering effect of social support on the association between family history and AUDsx.

RESULTS

Family history was positively associated with AUDsx (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.39-1.54) and social support was negatively associated with AUDsx (IRR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74-0.86). The marginal effects of family history decreased at higher levels of social support, indicating a buffering influence of social support on the association between family history and AUDsx.

CONCLUSIONS

Results reveal a buffering effect of social support, where greater levels of social support reduce the association between family history and AUDsx. These results indicate that the social context, and social support specifically, may be important for diminishing the risk of AUDsx.

Brain injury and adverse outcomes: a contemporary review of the evidence

Recently, research focusing on the implications of brain injuries for deleterious outcomes spanning a wide range of developmental domains has flourished. Findings from this literature suggest that brain injury is a potent source of risk for negative outcomes including neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and psychiatric diagnoses. Despite this evidence, few studies have examined the extent to which these findings represent a causal relationship. This review outlines the expansive literature in this developing area and provides a discussion of potential threats to internal validity. Finally, suggestions for future research are provided with a particular emphasis on leveraging existing findings to better understand the role of brain injury in the development of deleterious outcomes.