Traumatology, Vol 29(3), Sep 2023, 340-351; doi:10.1037/trm0000408
Research examining the well-being of correctional officers (COs) has primarily focused on their exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) and the presence of mental health disorders once employed. Absent is an understanding of the mental health of COs and their exposures to PPTEs before entering the federal CO occupation. In the current article, we qualitatively examine how themes of resilience and posttraumatic growth emerge in correctional officer recruit narratives of overcoming their past experiences with PPTE exposures. Drawing from interview data, we analyzed the descriptions of PPTEs from 100 correctional officer recruits, focusing on experiences of coping with PPTEs and shedding light on their descriptions of resiliency and posttraumatic growth. Of our 100 participants, 86 reported prior exposure to a PPTE. Analyses of semistructured interviews reveal engagement in processes such as distancing, relationality, and vulnerability. We discuss how such processes may serve as strategies for resilience that can help COs, who work in carceral environments, cope with PPTEs and maintain or regain well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)