Barriers and Opportunities for Suicide Prevention Among Correctional Officers: An Issue Brief for Clinicians

• NCJ Number: 309587
• Author(s): Natasha Frost; Rick Fields
• Date Published: 2023
• Length: 33 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-MU-MU-0010
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Factsheet
• Award: The Impact of Correctional Officer Suicide on the Institutional Environment and on the Well-being of Correctional Employees

Annotation

This paper addresses the relatively high rate of suicide among correctional officers, drawing on research and the expertise of officers and clinicians, and identifies barriers and opportunities for suicide prevention efforts with an emphasis on what clinicians can do to promote resilience, identify suicide risk, and intervene clinically; it also provides further learning resources on this topic.

Abstract

This fact sheet is part of an effort to better understand the nature and extent of the problem of suicide among correctional officers; it aims to help clinicians in their efforts to promote resilience among correctional officers, identify suicide risk, and employ effective interventions against suicide. The paper provides an overview of the problem being addressed: suicide among correctional officers. It discusses some barriers to suicide prevention in correctional settings; and it provides details on three opportunities to advance mental health and suicide prevention among correctional officers, including ways to promote resilience, identify suicide risk, and perform timely and evidence-based clinical treatments. The fact sheet includes additional considerations for research and practice, noting three critical issues for research to address: expanding the base of evidence on risk and protective factors; developing reliable and valid screening and assessment tools for clinicians; and testing the effectiveness of evidence-based, trauma-informed suicide prevention interventions that have proven to be helpful with military personnel and police. The appendix to the fact sheet provides a resource list for clinicians wishing to learn more about suicide prevention among correctional officers.