The role of prison officers’ regulation of inmates affect on their exposure to violent behaviours and the development of PTSD symptoms

Background: Interactions with inmates are a major source of stress for prison officers. Given the conflicting nature of this relationship, violent behaviours towards prison officers are not uncommon, posing a threat to their psychological well-being. Objective: This study analyses the role that the strategies prison officers use to regulate inmates’ emotions have on the frequency of inmates’ violent behaviour and on the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in prison officers. Based on interactional models of emotional regulation, a model is proposed in which interpersonal regulation has an indirect effect on PTSD symptoms mediated by the response of the inmate. Method: A total of 424 prison officers employed at 5 Uruguayan prisons completed a questionnaire. Results: The results confirm that emotional regulation strategies are related to inmates’ violent behaviour, which in turn affects prison officers’ PTSD symptoms. In particular, prison officers use of strategies to improve inmates’ affect reduces the level of inmate´s violent behaviours that mediate the negative relationship between affect-improving strategies and officers’ PTSD symptoms. The mediating role of inmates’ violent behaviour is also confirmed for the positive relationship between affect-worsening strategies and PTSD symptoms. Unexpected results for affect-worsening strategies suggest the presence of a conflict escalation cycle. Conclusion: The impact of the interpersonal regulation of the affect of inmates on the quality of prison officer-inmate relationships and on the exposure of prison officers to potentially traumatic violent events must be taken into account in the analysis of PTSD symptom development. The practical implications for the reduction of the exposure to potentially traumatic violent events and the prevention of PTSD symptoms among prison officers are discussed