From the inside: Dancing between burnout and engagement in a prison.

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.

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

Objetivos: Los profesionales que trabajan en centros penitenciarios, presentan altos niveles de estrés crónico que afectan a su desempeño diario y a su salud. La incorporación de talleres de regulación emocional y estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés, desdeun enfoque psicocorporal, podrían tener un impacto positivo en su bienestar. Este estudio exploratorio pretende analizar el estréscrónico, el repertorio emocional y la consciencia corporal, de una muestra inicial de 15 profesionales de un centro penitenciario,así como los efectos producidos por una intervención a través de talleres formativos con danza movimiento terapia (DMT).Material y método: Se utilizó una metodología mixta con diseño pre-post test, midiendo las variables burnout, engagement, repertorioemocional y consciencia corporal (CC). Con la información obtenida de un focus group (FG) participativo, se diseñó e implementó unprograma de CC de seis horas de duración, durante el cual los participantes cumplimentaron diarios reflexivos para su posterior análisis.Resultados: Se encontraron altos niveles de estrés y baja CC. El análisis cualitativo generó evidencias en cuanto a mejoras de laCC y la incorporación de estrategias de afrontamiento basadas en la escucha de las sensaciones corporales y la regulación emocional. El análisis pre-post test para una submuestra (n = 4) del total mostró mejoras en distintas subescalas, no estadísticamentesignificativas, pero con tamaños de efecto medios.Discusión: A pesar de las limitaciones del estudio, los resultados son prometedores. Los participantes valoran de modo muypositivo el taller realizado y consideran haber incorporado herramientas para afrontar el estrés laboral. (AU)

Objectives: Professionals who work in prisons present high levels of chronic stress that affect their daily performance andhealth. The incorporation of training workshops on emotional regulation and stress coping strategies from a psycho-bodyapproach could have a positive impact on their well-being. This article presents an exploratory study that analyzes chronicstress, 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 bodyawareness 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 inbody awareness and the incorporation of coping strategies based on listening to body sensations and emotional regulation. Prepost 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 positivelyand consider having incorporated tools to cope with work stress. (AU)