Predictability of correcitonal officers' psychological resilience, distress tolerance and perception of burnout on secondary traumatic stress

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the predictive roles of distress tolerance, resilience and perception of burnout on secondary traumatic stress levels of penal institutions officers. In addition, the relationship between demographic information of participants (such as gender, age, level of income, weekly working hours and being attacked by prisoners) and secondary traumatic stress was examined. The sample composed of 390 participants (318 male and 72 female). They were different units and types of penal institutions at Tarsus. In this study, Turkish versions of Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, Distress Tolerance Scale, Adult Resilience Measure and Demographic Information Questionnaire were administered to participants for data collection. In data analysis, t-test for independent sample and one-way ANOVA was used. Besides, Pearson Correlation Analysis was used to determine the relationship among continuous variables. Then, multiple linear regression for determining predictors and hierarchical multiple regression analysis for determining the power of predictor variable were conducted. As a result of the research; secondary traumatic stress scores do not differ in accordance with age and gender. Nevertheless, it was found that level of income and weekly working hours significantly differ in terms of secondary traumatic stress scores. Moreover, a relationship between the predictor variables and secondary traumatic stress was observed, suggesting that on lower level of distress tolerance and resilience; higher level of burnout, tending to secondary traumatic stress is more likely. Another result is that perception of burnout significantly and positively; tolerance subscale of Distress Tolerance Scale, and being attacked by prisoners significantly and negatively predicted secondary traumatic stress and 43% of variance in secondary traumatic stress can be accounted for by the linear combination of tolerance subscale of Distress Tolerance Scale, perception of burnout and being attacked by prisoners. Therefore, it can be concluded that the less tolerance, and the more severe burnout and being attacked by prisoners; the more likely the penal institution officers would be to secondary traumatic stress. The findings are revealed on predictability of correctional officers' psychological resilience, distress tolerance and perception of burnout on secondary traumatic stress.