Date of Conferral

9-28-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jana Price-Sharps

Abstract

This qualitative study explored correctional officers’ lived experiences with occupational stress, coping strategies, work–life balance, and psychological well-being. The purpose of the study was to better understand correctional officers’ experiences working in high-stress correctional environments, including how they experienced and managed occupational stress, as well as the factors that influenced their psychological well-being. The Yerkes-Dodson law, Nixon’s human function curve, and the transactional model of stress and coping provided the theoretical framework for the study. Eight correctional officers were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Semistructured interviews were conducted through the online meeting platform Zoom, and the data were analyzed thematically. Three themes emerged from the findings: (a) experiencing occupational stress: exposure, adaptation, and change; (b) managing the impact: coping, connection, and work–life boundaries; and (c) organizational context and psychological well-being. The findings showed that occupational stress stemmed from both critical incidents and routine workplace demands, and that its effects could persist even as officers became more experienced and better able to manage job demands. Coping strategies varied among participants, and organizational conditions influenced their experiences of occupational stress and psychological well-being. The findings may contribute to positive social change by increasing awareness of correctional officers’ experiences and informing efforts to support officer well-being and healthier correctional work environments.

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