Somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and job satisfaction of the prison medical workers in Jiangxi, China

Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluated the current situation and possible influencing factors associated with prison medical workers’ (PMWs’) somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and their job satisfaction.

Participants and methods

The Chinese version of Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) was used to assess PMWs’ mental health conditions. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the main factors associated with PMWs’ somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and their job satisfaction. The correlations between PMWs’ somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and job satisfaction were examined.

Results

The positive detection rates of somatization and obsessive-compulsive symptoms among the PMWs were 22.73% and 47.27%, respectively. Age, educational level, and length of working in prison were factors related to the PMWs’ mental health. Half of the PMWs were not satisfied with their current job, particularly the females and young workers with a shorter period of service. PMWs’ somatization is strongly positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while job satisfaction is negatively correlated with having somatization symptoms and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Conclusion

PMWs with lower educational level, elderly workers, and new employees have higher risk and more serious somatization and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The female and young PMWs with a short service time were particularly not satisfied with their job. Findings from this study indicated that it is important and necessary to improve PMWs’ job satisfaction in order to reduce their somatization symptoms and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Keywords:

• prison medical workers
• somatization
• obsessive-compulsive symptoms
• job satisfaction

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by an internal grant from Wuhan University. We thank Dr Xuan Luo, Director of the Provincial Prison Central Hospital of Jiangxi, for her assistance with data collection. We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance and cooperation from the related authorities and the research participants (especially the Provincial Prison Central Hospital of Jiangxi and Nanchang University) who contributed their time and effort for this study.

Author contributions

Xiaojun Liu and Zongfu Mao designed this study; Xiaojun Liu collected data and conducted the data analysis; Xiaojun Liu, Baojing Li, and Dongdong Jiang drafted the paper; Yuanan Lu, Zongfu Mao, and Xiaojun Liu revised the manuscript. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.