Table 1 Characteristics and mental health status of frontline prison officers [n (%)]
Variables | Grouping | Total sample | Mental health problems | χ2 | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
With (GHQ-12 score ≥ 4) | Without (GHQ-12 score < 4) | |||||
Gender | Female | 262 (26.71%) | 70 (26.72%) | 192 (73.28%) | 6.435 | *0.011 |
Male | 719 (73.29%) | 254 (35.33%) | 465 (64.67%) | Â | Â | |
Age (years) | <  30 | 692 (70.54%) | 225 (32.51%) | 467 (67.49%) | 2.202 | 0.333 |
30–50 | 241 (24.57%) | 91 (37.76%) | 150 (62.24%) |  |  | |
>  50 | 48 (4.89%) | 16 (33.33%) | 32 (66.67%) |  |  | |
Mean ± SD | 29.56 ± 6.13 |  |  |  |  | |
Marital status | Married | 457 (46.59%) | 151 (33.04%) | 306 (66.96%) | 0.060 | 0.807 |
Single | 524 (53.41%) | 177 (33.78%) | 347 (66.22%) | Â | Â | |
Education | College degree and below | 257 (26.20%) | 96 (37.35%) | 161 (62.65%) | 2.403 | 0.121 |
Bachelor degree and above | 724 (73.80%) | 232 (32.04%) | 492 (67.96%) | Â | Â | |
Working years | <  5 | 545 (55.56%) | 233 (42.75%) | 312 (57.25%) | 8.460 | *0.015 |
5–10 | 296 (30.17%) | 104 (35.14%) | 192 (64.86%) |  |  | |
>  10 | 140 (14.27%) | 44 (31.43%) | 96 (68.57%) |  |  | |
Recent working mode | A lockdown resting period at home | 189 (19.27%) | 20 (10.58%) | 169 (89.42%) | 167.576 | ** < 0.001 |
Quarantine at designated location | 379 (38.63%) | 77 (20.32%) | 302 (79.68%) | Â | Â | |
Lockdown shift inside the prison | 413 (42.10%) | 231 (55.93%) | 182 (44.07%) | Â | Â | |
Number of night shifts (times/month) | <  7 | 573 (58.41%) | 138 (24.08%) | 435 (75.92%) | 58.459 | ** < 0.001 |
7–15 | 296 (30.17%) | 129 (43.58%) | 167 (56.42%) |  |  | |
>  15 | 112 (11.42%) | 61 (54.46%) | 51 (45.54%) |  |  | |
Diet | Irregular | 249 (25.38%) | 127 (51.00%) | 122 (49.00%) | 46.280 | ** < 0.001 |
Regular | 732 (74.62%) | 201 (27.46%) | 531 (72.54%) | Â | Â | |
Physical exercise (days/week) | No exercise | 633 (64.53%) | 235 (37.12%) | 398 (62.88%) | 10.972 | **0.004 |
≤ 2 | 232 (23.65%) | 61 (26.29%) | 171 (73.71%) |  |  | |
≥ 3 | 116 (11.82%) | 32 (27.59%) | 84 (72.41%) |  |  | |
Smoking | Never | 499 (50.87%) | 147 (29.46%) | 352 (70.54%) | 14.548 | **0.001 |
Sometimes | 253 (25.79%) | 81 (32.02%) | 172 (67.98%) | Â | Â | |
Everyday | 229 (23.34%) | 100 (43.67%) | 129 (56.33%) | Â | Â | |
Self-reported physical condition | Good | 846 (86.24%) | 219 (25.89%) | 627 (74.11%) | 157.401 | ** < 0.001 |
Poor | 135 (13.76%) | 109 (80.74%) | 26 (19.26%) | Â | Â | |
Disease history in the past year | No illness | 830 (84.61%) | 241 (29.04%) | 589 (70.96%) | 52.960 | ** < 0.001 |
Chronic | 133 (13.56%) | 72 (54.14%) | 61 (45.86%) | Â | Â | |
Serious illness | 18 (1.83%) | 15 (83.33%) | 3 (16.67%) | Â | Â | |
Communication with family members (times/week) | 0–2 | 273 (27.83%) | 125 (45.79%) | 148 (54.21%) | 25.932 | ** < 0.001 |
≥ 3 | 708 (72.17%) | 203 (28.67%) | 505 (71.33%) |  |  | |