ABSTRACT
Correctional officers (COs) are often thought of as the “forgotten” frontline service - they are exposed to similar stressors and critical incidents as those of other frontline services, like police officers and paramedics, yet receive little of the same public recognition. The following chapter discusses the role of correctional officers, their exposure to potentially traumatic critical incidents, and evaluates the available CO mental health interventions. In evaluating the literature, we acknowledge the potential for both pathogenic and salutary (health) outcomes and use Ash’s story to ground our discussion in the correctional context. Overall, a pathogenic focus has dominated the literature and has prevented a systematic investigation of which factors may be protective for correctional officers or promote wellbeing beyond disorder absence. The chapter shows that the unique work environments of COs require a different approach to fostering mental health by systematically dismantling barriers to the discourse about mental health in the profession.
