The link between burnout and life satisfaction of prison officers in Nigeria

Job burnout is significantly related to a person’s physical and mental well-being; therefore, it makes intuitive sense that burnout would reduce a person’s life satisfaction. The current study examined the relationship between job burnout (i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and a reduced sense of being effective at work) and the life satisfaction of correctional staff in Nigeria. Using a sample of 120 staff at a medium-security prison, a multivariate analysis indicated emotional exhaustion and a reduced sense of being effective at work were related to lower life satisfaction. Depersonalisation, however, was not a significant predictor. Improving the well-being of correctional staff by raising the level of satisfaction with life is important, and the current results indicate that reducing burnout is one approach.