In 2016 and 2017 Professor Natasha Frost and her colleague, Carlos Monteiro conducted two ground-breaking studies through a National Institute of Justice grant on correctional officer suicide and officer wellbeing at the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

Here is a summary of their findings.

1. Suicide Rates Among Correctional Officers Are Significantly Elevated
Across the Massachusetts DOC studies (2010–2015), correctional officers died by suicide at rates of approximately 105 per 100,000, 7 to 7.5 times higher than the national U.S. average of ~14 per 100,000, and markedly higher than other first-responder groups, indicating an occupational health crisis.

2. Officer Suicide Is Caused by Multiple Factors and is Driven by Both Personal and Occupational Conditions
The research findings emphasize the interaction of personal vulnerabilities (mental health history, relationship strain, financial stressors) with occupational drivers (chronic stress, mandatory overtime, exposure to violence, institutional distrust, and disciplinary pressures).

These findings refute the notion of single-cause explanations.

3. Correctional Operational, Organizational and Traumatic Stressors Are Key Contributors
Officers reported cumulative “fatigue” from:
• Chronic understaffing and forced overtime
• Exposure to inmate violence and staff assaults
• Witnessing self-harm and suicide attempts
• An adversarial organizational climate characterized by low support and high scrutiny

These stressors created a perception that the toll of the job was inescapable, unmanageable, and destructive to personal life.

4. Suicide Has Widespread Institutional Impacts
The death of an officer by suicide generated:
• Lowered morale and increased anxiety among staff
• Heightened distrust toward leadership
• Decreased perceptions of safety
• Contagion effects where suicide risk increased among peers

Interviewed officers described an environment where the suicide of a colleague intensified their own hopelessness and burnout.

5. Knowing Someone Who Died by Suicide Correlates With Worse Mental Health
Surveyed officers who personally knew a colleague who died by suicide exhibited significantly higher levels of:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Persistent anger and emotional exhaustion

This finding demonstrates a measurable indirect-trauma effect, and the increased risk of suicide contagion. (Suicide contagion refers to the phenomenon in which exposure to suicide or suicidal behavior is associated with an increased risk that others will attempt or die by suicide. Exposure may be direct (e.g., knowing the individual who attempted or died by suicide) or indirect (e.g., learning of the suicide through social media, mass media coverage, or other news reports).

6. Barriers to Prevention Are Systemic and Cultural
The following key obstacles to prevention were identified:
• Stigma associated with seeking mental health care
• Fear of professional repercussions for disclosing distress
• A culture of stoicism and self-reliance—“Suck it up, buttercup!”
• Limited organizational transparency following suicides
• Inadequate peer-support and critical-incident practices

These factors reduce the likelihood of early help-seeking, and hinder employees’ learning collectively as an organization from past events.

7. Suggestions for Prevention Emphasize Organizational Change
Recommendations across the studies include:
• Training leaders to recognize and respond to warning signs
• Building trust through transparent communication and post-incident protocols
• Expanding peer-support teams and family outreach
• Strengthening behavioral health access tailored to correctional culture
• Reducing mandatory overtime and improving staffing stability
• Building a culture where help-seeking is normalized and confidential resources are provided and emphasized

Editorial Note: This article was developed with the assistance of AI-based summarization tools and was subsequently reviewed, edited, and verified for accuracy and clarity by a subject-matter expert.

If you or someone you know is experiencing despair or a crisis, seek professional support immediately. You may also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. Services are provided in English and Spanish.

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