Does organizational climate impact upon burnout in staff who work with people with intellectual disabilities? A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Staff stress and burnout is a prominent area of research in relation to services for people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this article is to review the literature in relation to organizational climate in order to investigate whether there is a relationship between organizational variables and staff burnout. A systematic literature search yielded 21 articles which fell into two categories. Earlier studies tended to focus on deinstitutionalization, whereas later studies appeared to be influenced by work-stress theories, including 'person-environment fit' and demand control. Overall, it was found that an organizational climate that has a better 'person-environment' fit promotes greater job satisfaction and reduced burnout. Future research could focus upon the social or therapeutic aspects of the environment within services for people with intellectual disabilities to address an area of research which appears to have been overlooked.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of a manualised cognitive behavioural anger management intervention delivered by supervised lay therapists to people with intellectual disabilities

“…Interestingly, this relationship was present even before the intervention, suggesting that it may be a characteristic of the centre rather than the lay therapists, reflecting an organisational culture that is more or less conducive to therapeutic engagement. 175,176 These results suggest that the subjective meaning of the service users' PI ratings may be different in different circumstances. In an environment where service users feel uncomfortable about discussing their emotions openly they may feel more remote from the materials, and find it difficult to imagine themselves in the situations described in the PI, resulting in fewer reports of anger.…”

“…Shifts in the relationships between service users and staff members might be a consequence of behavioural change, but improvements in interpersonal relationships could also engender cognitive changes, such as a reduced sensitivity to threat in particular situations that have personal salience. These changes are likely to have an impact on aspects of the organisation that will have a positive impact on therapeutic outcomes, 175 the well-being of staff, 176 and, ultimately, staff performance. 23 In addition to the improved relationships between service users and staff, most of the service users commented on the value that they had gained from the opportunity to talk, and be listened to, and to share experiences with other service users.…”

“…205 An organisational climate that has a good 'person-environment' fit promotes better job satisfaction for staff and potentially better outcomes for clients. 176 These broader organisational contexts in which therapeutic procedures for adults with intellectual disabilities are implemented are rarely considered.…”

Evaluation of the Work Safety and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Disability Support Workers

“…Workplace support, included in the JDCS model, has been the most frequently examined organisational factor for DSWs (Kozak, Kersten, Schillmöller, & Nienhaus, 2013). Role stress is another factor that has been reported as associated with high DSW burnout (Gray-Stanley et al, 2010;Kozak et al, 2013;Thompson & Rose, 2011).…”

Consider the Support Worker in the Role of Health Assessments

“…Staff turnover is high in disability services (Dowling et al 2007), and staff burnout remains a significant problem for those working with adults with intellectual disability (Thompson & Rose 2011). Staff turnover can also result in the loss of health history for people with intellectual disability (Lennox et al 2007).…”