The mental wellbeing of prison staff in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

AbstractObjectivesTo examine the mental wellbeing of prison staff in England within the pandemic, and determine factors associated with wellbeing.DesignCross-sectional study, with self-completed hardcopy and online surveys.Setting26 prisons across England, chosen to be representative of the wider closed prison estate in EnglandParticipantsAll staff within the 26 prisons from 20th July 2020 and 2nd October 2020 were eligible.Primary outcome measureWellbeing, measured using the Short-version of Warwick-Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Staff wellbeing was compared to that of the English population using indirectly standardised data from the Health Survey for England 2010-13 and a one-sample t-test. Multivariate linear regression modelling explored associations with mental wellbeing score.Results2534 individuals were included (response rate 22.2%). The mean age was 44 years, 53% were female, and 93% were white. The sample mean SWEMWBS score was 23.84 and the standardised population mean score was 23.57. The difference in means was statistically significant (95% CI 0.09 to 0.46), but not of at a clinically meaningful level. The multivariate linear regression model was adjusted for age category, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, presence of comorbidities, occupation, and HMPPS region. Higher wellbeing was significantly associated with older age, male sex, Black/Black British ethnicity, never having smoked, working within the health staff team, and working in certain prison regions. The overall model had a low predictive value (adjusted R2 = 0.0345).ConclusionsUnexpectedly, prison staff wellbeing as measured by SWEMWBS was similar to that of the general population. Reasons for this are unclear but could include the reduction in violence within prisons since the start of the pandemic. Qualitative research across a diverse sample of prison settings would enrich understanding of staff wellbeing within the pandemic.Strengths and limitations of this studyThis is the largest study to date to explore the mental wellbeing of prison staff in the UK (n=2534) and the first peer-reviewed study examining this during the COVID-19 pandemic.The sampling frame used (all staff at 26 prisons in England) is more likely to be representative of the prison staff population than other studies which have measured prison staff wellbeing and recruited through trade union channelsWellbeing was measured using SWEMWBS, which has been validated within the UK populationResponse rate was low (22.2%) and a number of variables adjusted for in the regression model were self-reported which could lead to a degree of bias