Felicidade, saúde mental e traços da personalidade no corpo da guarda prisional

Abstract

The prison guard corps responsible for ensuring security and preventing criminal recidivism constantly witness various problematic situations, making them more exposed to adverse situations, making their mental health more vulnerable. The scarcity of studies relating to this population highlights the cruciality of this research. The purpose of this study was to measure levels of happiness with the profession, assess mental health and characterize personality traits, as well as study the relationship between these variables in the professional class of Prison Guards. A quantitative study was carried out, in which 94 Prison Guards who work in six prison establishments in the North of the country participated, the majority of whom were male (84%), aged between 36 and 62 years (M=50.85; SD= 5.37). The Organizational Happiness Questionnaire, Mental Health Inventory and Big Five Inventory were used. The most predominant personality traits were Conscientiousness (M=35.19; SD=3.94) and Agreeableness (M= 34.50; SD=3.41). As for mental health, study participants seem to have significant levels of Anxiety (M 4.20; SD=0.77). Regarding Happiness in the Job, there was more happiness in Supporting Managers (M= 3.56; SD=1.11) and less happiness in relation to Remuneration (M= 2.63; SD=0.89). Regarding Happiness in the Organization, there was a positive association between the Internal Environment and Psychological Well-being (r=0.36), symbolizing that professionals who are happier in this aspect have higher levels of Psychological Well-Being. Regarding Happiness in the Job, there was a positive association between Intrapreneurship and Psychological Well-Being (r=0.34), that is, professionals who are happier with Intrapreneurship showed better levels of Psychological Well-Being. In short, it is essential to invest in programs that aim to raise awareness and demystify mental health in the prison context.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Armanda Gonçalves (Supervisor)