Original Source

The Psychological Impact of Slaughterhouse Employment: A Systematic Literature Review

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

Volume: 24: 429 - 440 Issue: 2

07 JUL 2017

Slade, J., & Alleyne, E.

Yes

From the source: "The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article."

From the source: "The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article."
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Summary

A systematic review of literature found an association between slaughterhouse employment and reduced well-being. Specifically, slaughterhouse workers (SHW) had higher levels of symptoms such as depression and anxiety when compared to various control groups. SHW workers were found to use a variety of adaptive (e.g. increased sick days) and maladaptive coping strategies (e.g.victim blaming, emotional repression, and high levels of aggression). Finally, two studies demonstrated an association between slaughterhouse work and arrests, but not for violent crimes. A strength of this review is a clear critique of included studies. A limitation is that causal conclusions cannot be drawn from the designs of reviewed studies (i.e., showing working in a slaughterhouse causes the outcomes). Overall, the authors demand reform to the current structure due to the high employment turnover and mental health needs SHW face.

The role of a slaughterhouse worker (SHW) involves the authorized killing of living beings, yet there is limited understanding of the consequences this behavior has on their well-being. The purpose of this systematic review is to collate and evaluate the current literature on the psychological impact of slaughterhouse employment. Fourteen studies met the specific a priori inclusion criteria. The findings from this review were demarcated by the focus of studies: (1) the prevalence of mental health disorders, (2) the types of coping mechanisms used, and (3) the link between slaughterhouse employment and crime perpetration. It was found that SHWs have a higher prevalence rate of mental health issues, in particular depression and anxiety, in addition to violence-supportive attitudes. Furthermore, the workers employ a variety of both adaptive and maladaptive strategies to cope with the workplace environment and associated stressors. Finally, there is some evidence that slaughterhouse work is associated with increased crime levels. The research reviewed has shown a link between slaughterhouse work and antisocial behavior generally and sexual offending specifically. There was no support for such an association with violent crimes, however. Based on existing research, we suggest future directions for research (i.e., applying more methodological rigor) but highlight key findings for practitioners and policymakers that warrant attention.