Reported Health, Life‐style and Occupational Stress in Prison Officers

A voluntary health screening survey of 262 prison officers shows that they have high levels of psychological stress which correlate with job pressures, personality and, to a lesser extent, lack of job rewards. Reported symptoms and subjective health followed a similar pattern, suggesting that psychological factors may mediate these symptoms or lead to their recognition and reporting. Where prison officers' physical health deviates from a national sample of Australian males, and other studies, life‐style factors of overweight and smoking are important determinants.