Evaluation of Psychosocial Risks in the Juvenile Correctional Officers of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Juvenile Correctional Officers are professionals who work in brazilian institutions responsible for adolescents in compliance with socio-educational measures of liberty deprivation or semi-freedom. The aim of this article was to explore psychosocial risk factors and health damage of the juvenile correctional officers who work in Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil). In addition, to investigate associations between factors investigated among themselves and sociodemographic and labor variables. A quantitative, descriptive and correlational methodological approach was used. The instruments used for data collection were a sociodemographic and labor questionnaire and the Protocolo de Avaliacao dos Riscos Psicossociais no Trabalho (PROART). A total of 53 juvenile correctional officers participated in the study. The results show that: 45.3% of the subjects presented high risk exposure in the "division of tasks" variable, 84.9%, high risk in the "social division" factor. About 50% presented a mean risk exposure for "mental exhaustion" and approximately 52%, mean risk for "physical damage". The Management Styles Scale pointed to a moderate presence of managerialism. It was concluded that the problems encountered in the organization of work and the predominance of a managerial style were the main psychosocial risk factor found, requiring interventions aimed at reducing health damage.