Beyond contextual stressors: uncertain reflective functioning, loneliness and emotional exhaustion as psychological correlates of perceived stress in prison officers

Purpose – This study aims to examine how uncertain reflective functioning (RF_U), loneliness (isolation, relational connectedness and trait loneliness) and emotional exhaustion (EE) contribute to perceived stress among prison officers (POs), beyond traditional contextual factors. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 58 Italian POs (mean age = 44.3 years; 72.4% male, 27.6% female) who completed standardized self-report measures distributed via Qualtrics. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations among variables. Findings – Correlation analysis indicated that higher perceived stress was linked to greater loneliness, particularly low relational connectedness, higher EE and greater RF_U. However, only relational connectedness and RF_U significantly predicted perceived stress in the multiple regression analysis, controlling for age, gender and job type, highlighting their key role in shaping stress responses. Originality/value – These findings suggest the potential utility of interventions targeting both external conditions and internal relational processes to effectively reduce perceived stress in POs.