Psycho–socio–emotional well–being of workers in a high–stress occupation: Are men and women really so different?

Abstract

Correctional work is stressful, and the job of correctional officers, in particular, has been rated as one of the most stressful of all occupations. Closely connected to the level of work related-stress is the psycho-socio-emotional well-being of individuals in high-stress occupations. This study investigated gender differences in psychological well-being and socio-emotional needs among men 146 (65.8%) aged 25 to 64 years with a mean of 39.02 years (SD = 8.38) and women 76 (34.2%) aged 22 to 61 years with a mean of 38.78 years (SD = 7.80) correctional personnel in Nigeria. The t test for independent sample results reveal no significant gender differences on most aspects of psycho-socio-emotional well-being autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, self-acceptance, as well as needs for support and affiliation. The findings imply that gender differences in psycho-socio-emotional well-being are decreasing over time. Therefore, in designing future policies and interventions for dealing with psycho-socio-emotional well-being of employees, managers and other stakeholders should not be concerned with gender differences but to focus on improving the psycho-socio-emotional well-being of all employees.