The Psychological Impact of Slaughterhouse Employment: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

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.

Intersectional stigma as a fundamental cause of health disparities: A case study of how drug use stigma intersecting with racism and xenophobia creates health inequities for Black and Hispanic persons who use drugs over time.

“…For example, many forms of drug use are criminalized, and once a person enters the criminal legal system and obtains a criminal record their job opportunities decrease. Persons with a criminal record disproportionately enter low-paid jobs that can be seen as dehumanizing (Slade & Alleyne, 2021). Drug use stigma is a means to socially and economically disadvantaged people and groups who do not conform.…”

What slaughterhouse workers' attitudes and knowledge reveal about human-pig relationships during pre-slaughter operations: A profile-based approach

“…Job dissatisfaction in workers <30 years of age has been widely reported because workers have experienced workplace violence by co-workers or have worked in a violent environment (Brown, Myers, Casteel, & Rauscher, 2020). Reeve, Rogelberg, Spitzmüller, and DiGiacomo (2005), found that animal shelter employees who were directly involved in euthanasia had significantly higher levels of job stress, stress-related somatic complaints, and lower levels of job satisfaction than did animal shelter employees who were not involved in euthanasia, which suggests that animal slaughter might be an important cause of work-related stress (Slade & Alleyne, 2022).…”

“…Slaughterhouse work is characterized by high staff turnover, absenteeism, disciplinary measures, demanding schedules, and exposure to death on a daily basis, which can exert psychological pressure that can lead to occupational stress, burnout, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (Emhan, Yildiz, Bez, & Kingir, 2012;Victor & Barnard, 2016). Those conditions can cause anxiety, irritability, sadness, tiredness, disinterest, lethargy, and violence-supportive attitudes (Slade & Alleyne, 2022). Those circumstances can arouse in workers' negative attitudes toward animals, which can affect the human-animal relationship and lead to marked stress in the animals (Hemsworth, Barnett, Coleman, & Hansen, 1989).…”

“…Even under favorable conditions for pigs at the slaughterhouse, they are exposed to numerous potential stressors that might compromise their welfare because of fear and pain caused by the presence and interventions of humans, changes in the thermal microenvironment, weather, social mixing, food and water deprivation, fatigue caused in transport, or pain caused by collisions with equipment or other animals (Miranda-de la Lama, Villarroel, & María, 2014; EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) et al, 2020). Slaughterhouse workers are involved in the slaughter of >70 billion animals, annually (Slade & Alleyne, 2022); however, studies on workers' perceptions of animal welfare are limited, and virtually no studies have examined human-animal interactions from the workers' perspective (Hemsworth, Rice, Hemsworth, & Coleman, 2021). Animal welfare research at the slaughterhouse level often has focused on the influence of workers on the efficiency of certain pre-slaughter processes such as handling, stunning, and bleeding (Carrascal et al, 2021).…”

The broiler chicken and the Anthropocene: Using critical nexus thinking to unpack the geographies of Gallus gallus domesticus

“…'Yoked by capital' (Beldo, 2017, p. 119) the body of Gallus gallus thus creates surplus energy (and hence value) in the form of extra muscle. Such surpluses come with substantial impacts on the bodies of human labour charged with the 'authorised killing' of animals (Slade & Alleyne, 2021) and managing their transformation into commodities and meat. These include acute and chronic psychological and physiological injuries.…”