Comparisons of Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Social Workers on Job‐related Measures and Reactions to Managed Care in Iowa

Abstract

This study compares marriage and family therapists (MFTs) to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers on job-related measures, such as job autonomy, job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to stay in their present position, as well as on reactions to a managed care initiative in the state of Iowa. Findings indicate that MFTs scored significantly lower than other practitioners on job autonomy and intention to stay in their present position, but there were no differences in job satisfaction or burnout. Marital and family therapists also reported less dissatisfaction with the managed care initiative than psychiatrists, although virtually all practitioners were dissatisfied with the managed-care program. These findings indicate some dissatisfaction within the MFT profession and may be relevant to practitioners seeking to change or expand their practice, as well as to the needs of MFTs in their training programs.

Compassion Fatigue in Marriage and Family Therapy: Implications for Therapists and Clients

“…Half of all family therapists work in private practice (Northey, 2002). Marriage and family therapists who work in private sectors are known to have a stronger sense of job autonomy and report a higher level of overall job satisfaction (Trudeau et al., 2001). They fare better than their MFT colleagues in the public sector, experiencing a lesser degree of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and more feelings of personal accomplishment (Ackerly, Burnell, Holder, & Kurdek, 1988).…”

Mental Health and Related Factors among Massage Practitioners with Visual Impairment

“…These results agree with the previous studies on medical professionals which showed that low staff-to-client ratios and high client turnover frequently led to burnout [9][10][11]13) as did lack of flexibility and hectic relationships with clients 19,20) . It was reported that the workers engaged in employment situations that offered autonomy to the worker did not fall into burnout [14][15][16][17][18] . The workers who established their own massage clinics have more autonomy and higher decision latitude than those who are employed by others, not only in terms of treatment but also in terms of management.…”

“…These studies targeted physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychotherapists, staff at facilities for mentally retarded children, and school teachers. Previous studies of these groups of professionals demonstrated that high daily client turnover, stressful, complicated work, and low autonomy in the workplace affect mental health status [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] . However, there has been no study targeting massage practitioners.…”

Expanding Systems Thinking: Incorporating Tools from Medical Sociology into MFT Education and Research

“…However, the treatment environment is a contextual factor that has meaningful effects for both the therapist's experience and the implementation of therapy. Therapists' experiences vary widely between work settings, such as private practice, community agency, or medical environment (Rosenberg & Pace, 2006;Trudeau, Russell, de la Mora, & Schmitz, 2001). Research has shown that features such as autonomy and power relations, which are related to workplace setting, affect a therapist's job satisfaction and level of burnout (Rosenberg & Pace, 2006).…”