From the inside: Dancing between burnout and engagement in a prison Translated title: Desde dentro: bailando entre el burnout y el engagement en un centro penitenciario

Abstract

Objectives:

Professionals who work in prisons present high levels of chronic stress that affect their daily performance and health. The incorporation of training workshops on emotional regulation and stress coping strategies from a psycho-body approach could have a positive impact on their well-being. This article presents an exploratory study that analyzes chronic stress, emotional repertoire and body awareness, of a sample of 15 professionals from a prison, together with the effect produced by an intervention through training workshops with Dance Movement Therapy.

Material and method:

A mixed methodology with a pretest-posttest design was used. The variables of burnout, engagement, emotional repertoire and body awareness were measured. With the information obtained from a participatory focus group, a six-hour body awareness program was designed and implemented, during which participants completed reflective diaries for subsequent analysis.

Results:

High levels of stress and low body awareness were found. Qualitative analysis generated evidence for improvements in body awareness and the incorporation of coping strategies based on listening to body sensations and emotional regulation. Pre-post test analysis for a subsample (n = 4) of the total showed improvements in different subscales, not statistically significant, but with medium effect sizes.

Discussion:

Despite the limitations of the study, the results are promising. The participants value the workshop very positively and consider having incorporated tools to cope with work stress.

Resumen

Objetivos:

Los profesionales que trabajan en centros penitenciarios, presentan altos niveles de estres cronico que afectan a su desempeno diario y a su salud. La incorporacion de talleres de regulacion emocional y estrategias de afrontamiento del estres, desde un enfoque psicocorporal, podrian tener un impacto positivo en su bienestar. Este estudio exploratorio pretende analizar el estres cronico, el repertorio emocional y la consciencia corporal, de una muestra inicial de 15 profesionales de un centro penitenciario, asi como los efectos producidos por una intervencion a traves de talleres formativos con danza movimiento terapia (DMT).

Material y método:

Se utilizo una metodologia mixta con diseno pre-post test, midiendo las variables burnout, engagement, repertorio emocional y consciencia corporal (CC). Con la informacion obtenida de un focus group (FG) participativo, se diseno e implemento um programa de CC de seis horas de duracion, durante el cual los participantes cumplimentaron diarios reflexivos para su posterior analisis.

Resultados:

Se encontraron altos niveles de estres y baja CC. El analisis cualitativo genero evidencias en cuanto a mejoras de la CC y la incorporacion de estrategias de afrontamiento basadas en la escucha de las sensaciones corporales y la regulacion emocional. El analisis pre-post test para una submuestra (n = 4) del total mostro mejoras en distintas subescalas, no estadisticamente significativas, pero con tamanos de efecto medios.

Discusión:

A pesar de las limitaciones del estudio, los resultados son prometedores. Los participantes valoran de modo muy positivo el taller realizado y consideran haber incorporado herramientas para afrontar el estres laboral.