Workplace Psychosocial Stress and It's Health Effect on Female Correctional Officers in Delta State: Preventive Measures and Intervention Strategies

This study investigated psychosocial stress among female correctional officers in Delta State, Nigeria, focusing on its causes, health consequences, adequacy of support systems, and the effectiveness of stress management training programmers. Employing a descriptive survey design, the study population included all 247 female correctional officers in the state who also formed the sample through census sampling. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.84) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a one-sample t-test at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that significant psychosocial stress among officers stemmed from role conflict, workplace violence, and gender discrimination. These stressors were strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and burnout. Existing support systems were found to be inadequate, while structured stress management training programmers significantly reduced stress and improved job satisfaction. The study was limited to one state and relied on self-reported data, which may affect the generalizability of results. It recommends that correctional management enforce strict policies against workplace violence and gender discrimination, and implement regular stress management training. These measures can enhance officer wellbeing, promote workplace equity, and strengthen correctional service delivery in Nigeria. This research contributes novel insights into occupational health challenges faced by Nigerian female correctional officers a group rarely examined in occupational health research, and proposes workplace-adaptive preventive strategies.