Abstract
A central dilemma in Participatory Action Research (PAR) is to establish participant decision authority on interventions while adhering to rigorous research practices. We faced this dilemma as part of an ongoing multi-site field research project in the corrections sector, where semi-autonomous union-based Design Teams (DTs) address worker health issues and design interventions. Employee focus groups and surveys elicited areas of concern, pointing to four topics in particular: overtime and sleep, work-family balance, physical fitness, and mental health; these were later expanded to eight priority areas. Quantitative rankings were generated by focus groups of line-level employees and supervisors. A multi-level, iterative priority selection process averaged focus group ratings of topic importance and also difficulty to address separately. Areas of job stress and mental health had highest importance but were also considered most difficult to address. A labor-management steering committee reviewed and endorsed the rankings and transmitted these to newly formed DTs. In principle, each DT was free to establish a different topic for initial intervention but they all chose the most important and difficult to address topics. This structured multi-tiered participatory process preserved ownership by all parties. Balancing participant autonomy and efficient prioritization of topics among multiple interest groups in this PAR effort met research methods needs and also made it easier for DTs to focus on the difficult and stigmatized area of mental health in the correctional workforce.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argyris, C., & Schön, D. A. (1989). Participatory action research and action science compared: A commentary. American Behavioral Scientist, 32(5), 612–623.
Augustsson, H., von Thiele Schwarz, U., Stenfors-Hayes, T., & Hasson, H. (2015). Investigating variations in implementation fidelity of an organizational-level occupational health intervention. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 22(3), 345–355.
Banks, S., Armstrong, A., Carter, K., Graham, H., Hayward, P., Henry, A., et al. (2013). Everyday ethics in community-based participatory research. Contemporary Social Science, 8(3), 263–277.
Bauer, G. F., & Hämmig, O. (2014). Bridging occupational, organizational and public health: A transdisciplinary approach. In Bridging occupational, organizational and public health (pp. 1–11). Dordrecht: Springer.
Baum, F., MacDougall, C., & Smith, D. (2006). Participatory action research. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 60(10), 854–857.
Björgvinsson, E., Ehn, P., & Hillgren, P. A. (2010) Participatory design and democratizing innovation. In Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Participatory Design Conference (pp. 41–50). ACM.
Brough, P., & Williams, J. (2007). Managing occupational stress in a high-risk industry: Measuring the job demands of correctional officers. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(4), 555–567.
Buchanan, D. R., Miller, F. G., & Wallerstein, N. (2007). Ethical issues in community-based participatory research: Balancing rigorous research with community participation in community intervention studies. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 1(2), 153–160.
Buden, J. C., Dugan, A. G., Namazi, S., Huedo-Medina, T. B., Cherniack, M. G., & Faghri, P. D. (2016). Work characteristics as predictors of correctional supervisors’ health outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 58(9), e325.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). Occupational outlook handbook: Correctional officers (2014–15 ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved from: www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/correctional-officers.htm.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, 2014. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/osh2_11192015.pdf.
Carlson, J. R., & Thomas, G. (2006). Burnout among prison caseworkers and corrections officers. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 43(3), 19–34.
Cherniack, M., & Punnett, L. (2019). A participatory framework for integrated interventions. In H. L. Hudson, J. A. S. Nigam, S. L. Sauter, L. C. Chosewood, A. L. Schill, & J. Howard (Eds.), Total Worker Health®: Integrative approaches to safety, health, and well-being (Chapter 6). American Psychology Association Press.
Cherniack, M., El Ghaziri, M., Dussetschleger, J., Elliot, D., & Kuehl, K. (2015). Making for a healthy CO. American Jail Association Magazine, 29(4), 16–23.
Cherniack, M., Dussetschleger, J., Dugan, A., Farr, D., Namazi, S., El Ghaziri, M., & Henning, R. (2016). Participatory action research in corrections: The HITEC II program. Applied Ergonomics, 53, 169–180.
Dowden, C., & Tellier, C. (2004). Predicting work-related stress in correctional officers: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 32(1), 31–47.
Dugan, A. G., & Punnett, L. (2017). Dissemination and implementation research for occupational safety and health. Occupational Health Science, 1(1–2), 29–45.
Dugan, A. G., Farr, D. A., Namazi, S., Henning, R. A., Wallace, K. N., El Ghaziri, M., et al. (2016). Process evaluation of two participatory approaches: Implementing Total Worker Health® interventions in a correctional workforce. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 59(10), 897–918.
Elliot, D., Kuehl, K., El Ghaziri, M., & Cherniack, M. (2015). Stress and corrections: Addressing the safety and well-being of correctional officers. Corrections Today, 77(4), 40–44.
Feltner, C., Peterson, K., Weber, R. P., Cluff, L., Coker-Schwimmer, E., Viswanathan, M., et al. (2016). The effectiveness of Total Worker Health interventions: A systematic review for a National Institutes of Health pathways to prevention workshop. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(4), 262–269.
Ferraro, L., Faghri, P. D., Henning, R., Cherniack, M., & Team, C. P. H.-N. E. W. (2013). Workplace-based participatory approach to weight loss for correctional employees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55(2), 147–155.
Finney, C., Stergiopoulos, E., Hensel, J., Bonato, S., & Dewa, C. S. (2013). Organizational stressors associated with job stress and burnout in correctional officers: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 82.
Frege, C. M. (2002). A critical assessment of the theoretical and empirical research on German works councils. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 40(2), 221–248.
Greenwood, D. J., Whyte, W. F., & Harkavy, I. (1993). Participatory action research as a process and as a goal. Human Relations, 46(2), 175–192.
Hasson, F., Keeney, S., & McKenna, H. (2000). Research guidelines for the Delphi survey technique. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32(4), 1008–1015.
Helfrich, C. D., Li, Y. F., Sharp, N. D., & Sales, A. E. (2009). Organizational readiness to change assessment (ORCA): Development of an instrument based on the Promoting Action on Research in Health Services (PARIHS) framework. Implementation Science, 4(1), 38.
Henning, R. A., Robertson, M. R., & Dugan, A. G. (2018). Supporting participatory organizational interventions: New opportunities, roles and responsibilities for researchers and OSH professionals. In K. Nielsen & A. Noblet (Eds.), Designing, implementing and evaluating organizational interventions (Chapter 7, pp. 169–194). Routledge.
Hugentobler, M. K., Israel, B. A., & Schurman, S. J. (1992). An action research approach to workplace health: Integrating methods. Health Education Quarterly, 19(1), 55–76.
Kindon, S., Pain, R., & Kesby, M. (Eds.). (2007). Participatory action research approaches and methods: Connecting people, participation and place. London: Routledge.
Kinsler, P. J., & Saxman, A. (2007). Traumatized offenders: Don't look now, but your jail's also your mental health center. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 8(2), 81–95.
Konda, S., Tiesman, H., Reichard, A., & Hartley, D. (2013). US correctional officers killed or injured on the job. Corrections Today, 75(5), 122–123.
Lalonde, L., Goudreau, J., Hudon, É., Lussier, M. T., Duhamel, F., Bélanger, D., Lévesque, L., Martin, É., & Group for TRANSIT to Best Practices in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Primary Care. (2012). Priorities for action to improve cardiovascular preventive care of patients with multimorbid conditions in primary care—A participatory action research project. Family Practice, 29(6), 733–741.
Lambert, E. G., Hogan, N. L., Jiang, S., & Jenkins, M. (2009). I am fried: Stressors and burnout among correctional staff. Corrections Compendium, 34(2), 16–23.
Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46.
Lewin, K. (1948). Resolving social conflicts. New York: Harper & Row.
Mattke, S., Liu, H., Caloyeras, J., Huang, C. Y., Van Busum, K. R., Khodyakov, D., et al. (2013). Workplace wellness programs study. Rand Health Quarterly, 3(2), 7.
McTaggart, R. (1994). Participatory action research: Issues in theory and practice. Educational Action Research, 2(3), 313–337.
Michaels, C. N., & Greene, A. M. (2013). Worksite wellness: increasing adoption of workplace health promotion programs. Health Promotion Practice, 14(4), 473–479.
Minkler, M. (2005). Community-based research partnerships: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Urban Health, 82(2), ii3–i12.
Mordock, K., & Krasny, M. E. (2001). Participatory action research: A theoretical and practical framework for EE. The Journal of Environmental Education, 32(3), 15–20.
Morse, T., Dussetschleger, J., Warren, N., & Cherniack, M. (2011). Talking about health: Correction employees' assessments of obstacles to healthy living. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(9), 1037–1045.
Nielsen, K., & Abildgaard, J. S. (2013). Organizational interventions: A research-based framework for the evaluation of both process and effects. Work and Stress, 27(3), 278–297.
Nielsen, K., Fredslund, H., Christensen, K. B., & Albertsen, K. (2006). Success or failure? Interpreting and understanding the impact of interventions in four similar worksites. Work and Stress, 20(3), 272–287.
Nobrega, S., Kernan, L., Plaku-Alakbarova, B., Robertson, M., Warren, N., Henning, R., & CPH-NEW Research Team. (2017). Field tests of a participatory ergonomics toolkit for Total Worker Health. Applied Ergonomics, 60, 366–379.
Obidoa, C., Reeves, D., Warren, N., Reisine, S., & Cherniack, M. (2011). Depression and work family conflict among corrections officers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(11), 1294–1301.
Peacock, S., Mitton, C., Bate, A., McCoy, B., & Donaldson, C. (2009). Overcoming barriers to priority setting using interdisciplinary methods. Health Policy, 92(2–3), 124–132.
Powell, C. (2003). The Delphi technique: myths and realities. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(4), 376–382.
Reeves, D. W., Walsh, B. M., Tuller, M. D., & Magley, V. J. (2012). The positive effects of participative decision making for midlevel correctional management. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(10), 1361–1372.
Robertson, M., Henning, R., Warren, N., Nobrega, S., Dove-Steinkamp, M., Tibirica, L., et al. (2013). The Intervention Design and Analysis Scorecard: A planning tool for participatory design of integrated health and safety interventions in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55(12 Suppl), S86–S88.
Robertson, M., Henning, R., Warren, N., Nobrega, S., Steinkamp, M., Tibirica, L., et al. (2015). Participatory design of integrated safety and health interventions in the workplace: A case study using the Intervention Design and Analysis Scorecard (IDEAS) Tool. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 3(3/4), 303–326.
Robertson, M. M., Tubbs, D., Henning, R. A., Nobrega, S., Calvo, A., & Murphy, L. (2019). Designing an organizational readiness survey for Total Worker Health® workplace initiatives. In S. Bagnara, R. Tartaglia, S. Albolino, T. Alexander, & Y. Fujita (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2018). IEA 2018. Advances in intelligent systems and computing (Vol. 821, pp. 437–445). Cham: Springer.
Salihu, H. M., Salinas-Miranda, A. A., Wang, W., Turner, D., Berry, E. L., & Zoorob, R. (2015). Community Priority Index: Utility, applicability and validation for priority setting in community-based participatory research. Journal of Public Health Research, 4(2), 443.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Peeters, M. C. (2000). Job stress and burnout among correctional officers: A literature review. International Journal of Stress Management, 7(1), 19–48.
Shirk, J. L., Ballard, H. L., Wilderman, C. C., Phillips, T., Wiggins, A., Jordan, R., et al. (2012). Public participation in scientific research: A framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society, 17(2), 29.
Stamatakis, K. A., McQueen, A., Filler, C., Boland, E., Dreisinger, M., Brownson, R. C., et al. (2012). Measurement properties of a novel survey to assess stages of organizational readiness for evidence-based interventions in community chronic disease prevention settings. Implementation Science, 7(1), 65.
Stringer, E. T. (2013). Action research. Sage Publications, Inc.
Tamers, S. L., Chosewood, L. C., Childress, A., Hudson, H., Nigam, J., & Chang, C. C. (2019). Total Worker Health® 2014–2018: The novel approach to worker safety, health, and well-being evolves. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 321.
van der Velde, J., Williamson, D. L., & Ogilvie, L. D. (2009). Participatory action research: Practical strategies for actively engaging and maintaining participation in immigrant and refugee communities. Qualitative Health Research, 19(9), 1293–1302.
Violanti, J. M. (2017). Suicide behind the wall: A national analysis of corrections officer suicide. Suicidology Online, 8(1), 58–64.
Viswanathan, M., Ammerman, A., Eng, E., Garlehner, G., Lohr, K. N., Griffith, D., et al. (2004). Community-based participatory research: Assessing the evidence: Summary. Evidence Report Technology Assessment, 99, 1–8.
Warren, N., Dussetschleger, J., Punnett, L., & Cherniack, M. G. (2015). Musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in correction officers: Why do they increase rapidly with job tenure? Human Factors, 57(2), 262–275.
Whitehead, D. (2008). An international Delphi study examining health promotion and health education in nursing practice, education and policy. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(7), 891–900.
Wilson, E., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2018). Ethical challenges in community-based participatory research: A scoping review. Qualitative Health Research, 28(2), 189–199.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grant no. U19-OH008857 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cherniack, M., Berger, S., Namazi, S. et al. A Participatory Action Research Approach to Mental Health Interventions among Corrections Officers: Standardizing Priorities and Maintaining Design Autonomy. Occup Health Sci 3, 387–407 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-019-00051-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-019-00051-3