The Impact of PTSD on Correctional Workers and Their Families in Alberta

Correctional facilities can be demanding and sometimes dangerous places to work. This can really affect the mental health of correctional workers. Many of these workers experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition also common in war veterans. This article looks at how PTSD affects correctional workers in Canada, especially in Alberta, and focuses on the challenges faced by their spouses and partners.

Understanding PTSD in Canadian Correctional Workers

Working in corrections means often dealing with potentially traumatic events. Things like violence, threats, or even seeing someone harm themselves can be very stressful. This constant stress can lead to PTSD. Studies show that many Canadian correctional workers have PTSD, with numbers ranging from about 2% to over 50%. One recent study found that over 25% of correctional workers had PTSD symptoms in the past month.

PTSD symptoms can make daily life very hard. These symptoms include:

• Intrusive Thoughts: These are recurring, unwanted memories of scary events. They can feel like flashbacks, where you feel like you’re reliving the event.
• Nightmares: Bad dreams related to the trauma can make it hard to sleep and cause tiredness during the day.
• Avoidance: People with PTSD might avoid people, places, or things that remind them of the trauma. This can make it hard to have a social life or maintain relationships.
• Negative Feelings: Feeling sad, hopeless, guilty, or ashamed all the time. It can also be hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions.
• Hyperarousal: This means being constantly on edge, easily startled, irritable, and having trouble sleeping. It’s like being on high alert all the time, which is exhausting.

While this is a problem across Canada, it’s important to understand how it specifically affects people in Alberta.

The Partner’s Experience: A Ripple Effect

PTSD doesn’t just affect the correctional worker; it also impacts their spouses and partners. Partners often end up dealing with the emotional fallout of their loved one’s trauma.

Partners often experience significant psychological distress, including:

• Anxiety: Constant worry about their partner’s safety and well-being.
• Depression: Feeling sad, hopeless, and helpless because of their partner’s condition and how it’s changed their relationship.
• Emotional Shutdown: Often correctional workers can experience emotional shutdown which can cause strain on relationships. Knowing the signs and how to respond to emotional shutdown is important.

Secondary trauma also called vicarious traumatization, is a real issue for partners. They can absorb the emotional pain of their partner’s experiences, leading to similar PTSD symptoms. Partners may need correctional worker partner support.

Being the main caregiver adds more stress. Spouses often take on more responsibilities at home, like managing the house, taking care of kids, and supporting their partner emotionally. This can lead to burnout and resentment.

The relationship itself can suffer. Communication can become difficult, intimacy can decrease, and the whole dynamic can change. Financial problems, if the worker can’t work as much or has medical bills, add even more stress.

Finding Support: Ways to Cope and Heal

Knowing the problems is just the first step. Finding reliable support is key. Support can be found in several areas:

A. Individual Coping:

For the partner, taking care of yourself is essential. Things like mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques can help. Getting support from friends, family, or support groups is also important.

B. Strengthening Your Relationship:

The relationship needs attention. Couples therapy can provide a safe place to talk about the challenges PTSD brings. Learning to communicate better and understanding PTSD through education can be very helpful.

C. Family Support:

If you have children, family therapy is crucial. This helps the whole family understand and cope with the effects of PTSD, especially how it affects the children.

D. Support Groups:

Connecting with other partners facing similar situations can be very helpful. Sharing experiences and coping strategies, and knowing you’re not alone, can make a big difference. These groups also offer advice from people who truly understand. There are support groups available, including online groups on platforms like Facebook.

E. Professional Mental Health Services:

Getting professional help is important for both the correctional worker and their partner. Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are effective for treating PTSD. Many therapists specialize in providing mental health therapy.

F. Peer Support: Programs offer help to officers, families and spouses.

Resources in Canada and Alberta

Canada has resources to help people and families dealing with PTSD. These include:

A. National and International Help:

• The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): This organization provides mental health resources, support, and advocacy across Canada.
• The American Psychological Association (APA): The APA offers information and resources on PTSD that are helpful everywhere.
• Canadian Families and Corrections Network: This provides toll-free help.

B. Government Programs:

• Correctional Service Canada (CSC): This federal agency provides Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services. These can be used by both the correctional worker and their family.
• Veterans Affairs Canada: Provides funding to the Centre of Excellence on PTSD.

C. Non-Profit Organizations:

• Project Trauma Support: This organization focuses on helping people recover from PTSD.

Overcoming Barriers to Getting Help

Even with resources available, there are things that can make it hard to get help:

• Stigma: People might be afraid of being judged, either personally or professionally, if they seek help. They might worry it could affect the correctional worker’s career.
• Lack of Information: Many people, especially partners, might not know about the resources available. They might not recognize PTSD symptoms or understand why professional help is important.
• Cost: Therapy and other support services can be expensive. This can be a big problem for families already facing financial difficulties.
• Location: Access to mental health services, especially specialized trauma care, can be limited in rural or remote areas of Alberta.
• Privacy Concerns: Spouses might worry about keeping their therapy confidential or how sharing personal information might affect their partner’s job.

Moving Forward: Best Practices and Ideas

Dealing with PTSD in correctional workers and their partners requires a comprehensive approach:

• Self-Care: Partners need to prioritize their own well-being. This means regular stress-management activities, a healthy lifestyle, and support from their own network.
• Open Communication: Talking openly and honestly is crucial. Creating a safe space to share feelings can strengthen the relationship. Addressing communication problems in first responder relationships is key to a healthy partnership.
• Family Involvement: Including the whole family in understanding and coping with PTSD is important. Children need explanations and support that are appropriate for their age.
• Professional Help: Encouraging both the correctional worker and their partner to get professional help, individually and as a couple/family, is essential. Early help can make a big difference.
• New Solutions: Telehealth can make it easier to access mental health services, especially for people in remote areas. Community programs can offer support in a familiar setting.
• Advocating for presumptive PTSD coverage.

Legal Considerations

• Mental health services for correctional workers need to be available and easy to access for those involved in the justice system.
• A major problem in corrections is a lack of resources.
• Workers’ Compensation: Some provinces have high rates of PTSD-related workers’ compensation claims from correctional officers. Understanding workers’ compensation benefits is crucial for those affected.
• Correctional Health Services must follow privacy laws about patient information.

Next Steps with Responders First

PTSD significantly impacts correctional workers and their families, and it’s an issue that needs attention. By talking openly about mental health, raising awareness of available resources, and creating a supportive environment, we can help these individuals and their loved ones. Recognizing the challenges faced by partners in Alberta and across Canada is vital to building a stronger support system. Contact Responders First for more information and to access our support programs. We are here to help you navigate these challenges and build a healthier future.

Don Davis

15+ years of emergency response experience. Passionate about connecting our first responder communities with critical resources. Author of hundreds of articles and guides on First Responders mental health care. When not responding to emergencies, you can find me playing with my dogs, hiking, or enjoying a good book.