Occupational Stress Vs Burnout Essay

Question 4: Explain the differences between occupational stress and burnout. Identify six correlates of burnout and minimization strategies. Stress is endemic to professional life. Criminal justice careers are also prone to occupational stress as a routine feature given the fact that professionals have difficult occupations, that they have to deal with an often unsympathetic and hostile public, and that some individual professions within the field may require individuals to put their lives on the line (Giblin, 2013). But while stress can be problematic and also lead to other health risks, not all stress is negative. Our lecture material distinguishes occupational stress from burnout by identifying the former as a byproduct of a given profession, and the latter as a situation in which a person no …show more content…
Individuals in this field experience the six burnout related correlates in the following ways. First, because many correctional facilities experience high turnover rates and are chronically understaffed, guards often have to work increased shifts in order to accommodate a lack of personnel resources (Finney, 2013). In addition to being heavy, the workload can also be highly demanding. Personnel are routinely subjected to the same stresses that prisoners face during their shift, and also face the unique demands of being outnumbered by the prisoners. Finney (2013) also notes that corrections officers often have to embrace a new set of values when they take on their professional role. While they might be peaceable and trusting individuals in their personal lives, they are sometimes required to use physical force in order to restrain prisoners and to regard all inmates as untrustworthy. Accordingly, they experience what can be characterized as a values mismatch in terms of their professional obligations and personal