Psychological health and safety of criminal justice workers: a scoping review of strategies and supporting research.

Abstract

Background: People working in the criminal justice system face substantial occupational stressors due to their roles involving high-risk situations, trauma exposure, heavy workloads, and responsibility for public safety. Consequently, they have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than the general population. Employees identifying as women, Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexual, Asexual, and all others (2SLGBTQIA+), or Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), may experience additional stressors due to discrimination, harassment, and systemic barriers to seeking and receiving support. Psychoeducational and psychosocial programs have shown mixed effectiveness for preventing or reducing occupational stress, emphasizing the urgent need for multi-level, comprehensive, system-wide approaches. This scoping review aimed to capture and consolidate recommendations from strategies, frameworks, and guidelines on supporting the psychological health of criminal justice workers.

Results: The scoping review of 65 grey and 85 academic literature records presents recommendations aimed at improving the psychological health and safety of criminal justice system workers. Findings were mapped by occupational groups to the Social-Ecological Model and accounted for factors across the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and policy levels. The most common recommendation across all criminal justice occupational groups was workplace mental health training to reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking, prepare workers for traumatic incidents, and promote culturally responsive approaches. At the individual level, physical health, healthy lifestyle choices, and coping strategies were widely recommended. Interpersonal interventions, including peer support and models emphasizing wraparound care, were also recommended. Institutional factors such as fair workloads, safe working conditions, and harassment-free workplaces were emphasized. At the policy level, presumptive coverage policies and adequate funding for staffing needs were highlighted.

Conclusion: This scoping review captured intersecting strategies and recommendations, consisting primarily of individual- and institutional-level supports and services. Fewer records discussed the need to address structural and policy considerations such as labor shortages, patchy mental health benefits, underfunding, and discrimination. The review highlights the need for shared responsibility across different levels, providing a framework for improving the psychological health and safety of criminal justice workers.