BackgroundBurnout and employee turnover in mental health services are costly and can have a negative impact on service user outcomes. Using the Job Demands-Resources model as a foundation, the aim of this study was to explore the relationships between burnout, turnover intention and job satisfaction in relation to specific job demands and job resources present in the workplace in the context of one Australian mental health service with approximately 1100 clinical staff.MethodsThe study took a cross-sectional survey approach. The survey included demographic questions, measures of burnout, turnover intention, job satisfaction, job demands and job resources.ResultsA total of 277 mental health personnel participated. Job satisfaction, turnover intention and burnout were all strongly inter-correlated. The job resources of rewards and recognition, job control, feedback and participation were associated with burnout, turnover intention and job satisfaction. Additionally, the job demands of emotional demands, shiftwork and work-home interference were associated with the exhaustion component of burnout.ConclusionThis study is the largest of its kind to be completed with Australian mental health personnel. Results can be used as a foundation for the development of strategies designed to reduce burnout and turnover intention and enhance job satisfaction.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3841-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This study provides a detailed analysis of factors associated with job satisfaction, turnover intention and burnout in a group of occupational therapists working in mental health. To promote workforce wellbeing and enhanced retention, interventions to minimise burnout should be implemented and evaluated. These strategies should focus on enhancing job resources such as supervisor support, feedback and participation in decision making as well as building the personal resilience of occupational therapists working in mental health.

The results supported the development of a 'push and pull' conceptualization of recruitment and retention issues, including job-related (intrinsic) and non-job-related (extrinsic) issues. This conceptualization allows organisations to closely examine factors that attract practitioners to positions and those that support or damage staff tenure.

BACKGROUND Epileptic seizures impair quality of life in diffuse low-grade glioma (DLGG) patients. Tumor resection significantly impacts postoperative seizure control, but the precise extent of resection (EOR) required for optimal seizure control is not clear yet. OBJECTIVE To identify the EOR and residual tumor volume that correlated to postoperative seizure control, defined as a total seizure freedom (Class 1A in reference to Engel classification system) with and without antiepileptic drugs in patients undergoing surgical resection of supratentorial DLGG. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of all patients who underwent first-line surgical resection of supratentorial DLGG who presented with preoperative seizures without adjuvant oncological treatment. EOR and residual tumor volume were quantified from pre- and post-operative magnetic resonance imagings. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to determine the EOR and residual tumor volume that corresponded to optimal postoperative seizure control. RESULTS Of the 346 included patients, 65.5% had controlled seizures postoperatively, with higher age at resection (adjusted OR per unit, 1.03 [95% confidence interval:1.01-1.06], P = .043) and higher percentage of resection (adjusted OR per unit, 1.02 [95% confidence interval:1.00-1.03], P < .001) found as independent predictors of postoperative seizure control. Optimal EOR was ≥91% and optimal residual tumor volume was ≤19 cc to improve postoperative seizure control. CONCLUSION Postoperative seizure control is more likely when EOR is ≥91% and/or when residual tumor volume is ≤19 cc in supratentorial DLGG gliomas who present with seizures. Resected peritumoral cortex should, however, be taken into account in future studies.

BackgroundElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most controversial treatments in psychiatry. This controversy and diverse and often strongly held opinions can make decision making processes around ECT more complex.MethodThis consumer-led project explored the experiences of individuals who had received ECT in terms of the information they received, their experience of ECT and suggestions for ways that decision making processes and experiences of ECT can be improved. Interviews were conducted by consumer researchers who had also received ECT and transcripts were analysed using constant comparative techniques.ResultsSeventeen individuals participated. Four overarching categories were identified from participant interviews: Information matters; Preparation and decisions before ECT; Experience of ECT; and Suggestions for improvement. Most participants suggested that more information was required and that this information should be made available more regularly to support decision making. Additional suggestions included greater involvement of family and friends (including having a family member or friend present during the ECT procedure), opportunities to gain information from individuals who had received ECT and more support for managing memory and cognitive side effects.ConclusionThis study provides valuable consumer-provided insights and recommendations for psychiatrists and mental health clinicians working within ECT clinics and with consumers considering or preparing for ECT.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12888-018-1813-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Background: Consumer peer workers are individuals with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery who are employed to use their lived experience to support others. The consumer peer workforce has expanded substantially in recent years. While some research has explored the workplace experiences of peer workers, no previous studies have explored job satisfaction, burnout or turnover intention for this workforce. Methods: Consumer peer workers in New South Wales, Australia were invited to complete a survey designed to explore their workplace experiences. The survey included measures of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources, and satisfaction with supervision, professional development and opportunities for career progression. Questions also explored positive and negative aspects of positions. Analyses included exploration of the relationships between of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources as well as tabulation of common positive and negative aspects of positions. Results were also compared with findings from a previous study exploring workplace experiences of other mental health workers. Results: A total of 67 peer workers participated in the study. Overall job satisfaction, burnout (disengagement and exhaustion) and turnover intention for peer workers was not significantly different to other mental health workers. Job satisfaction, disengagement, exhaustion and turnover intention were all significantly interrelated. Job resources of social support, job control, feedback, and rewards and recognition were associated with positive workplace experiences and the job demand of "physical environment" was most substantially associated with poorer workplace experiences. The most common positive aspect of positions was "connecting with consumers" and the most common

Australia has a network of Federally funded disability employment and vocational rehabilitation services, including a proportion of outlets that specialise in providing services for persons with psychiatric disabilities. However, neither Federal nor State Governments currently provide or fund disability‐specific education assistance to persons with psychiatric disabilities. To begin considering whether Specialised Supported Education is indicated for persons with psychotic disorders, we examined data collected in a national ‘Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers Australia, 1998’. International studies of the effectiveness of overseas Supported Education programs were also examined to identify the forms of assistance most likely to warrant consideration in Australia. U.S.A. evidence indicates that Specialised Supported Education is emerging as an effective career development option for persons with psychotic disorders. An example of an innovative Specialised Supported Education program is provided to illustrate how this type of program can be implemented in Australia.