title: Relationships between occupational stress and depressive symptoms among prison officers in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationships between occupational stress and depressive symptoms in prison officers have rarely been studied in Japan. Thus, we analyzed the associations between occupational stress factors and depressive symptoms among Japanese prison officers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study involving 426 male prison officers (20-60-year-old). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Using this scale and a cut-off point of 50, the subjects were divided into the "depressive group" and "non-depressive group". Occupational stress was evaluated using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire. Comparisons among the groups were performed with multiple logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 426 subjects, 107 were included in the depressive group. After adjusting for demographic and occupational variables, higher scores for the physical environment, role ambiguity, and quantitative workload and a lower score for social support from co-workers were found to be associated with an increased odds ratio of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physical environment, role ambiguity, quantitative workload, and social support from coworkers are associated with depressive symptoms in Japanese prison officers. We hope that educating prison officers about the results of this study and organizational/individual-based improvement strategies will reduce their risk of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. amaebi1976kiseki@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Koki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muroya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Osaka Medical Prison, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiriike
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011330:Prisons; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*