Optimism, But Not Locus of Control, Moderates Burnout in Professional Master's Athletic Training Students

Abstract

Context Burnout is a common concern in the field of athletic training that may affect athletic training students. They may experience burnout because of stressors related to their clinical education responsibilities and course load. Various buffers have been suggested to reduce burnout in other health care settings; however, there is a limited body of research examining the effect of locus of control and optimism as buffers against burnout in athletic training populations. Objective To investigate whether a perceived internal locus of control and/or optimism can provide a buffer against burnout in athletic training students. Design and Setting A cross-sectional observational research design via Qualtrics survey. Patients or Other Participants A total of 48 professional master's athletic training students enrolled in Commission on Accrediting Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Data Collection and Analysis Participants were sent a survey link that included demographic questions, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Life Orientation Test–Revised, and the Rotter Internal/External Locus of Control Scale. Three multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships of personal burnout, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout with optimism and locus of control. A Pearson correlation was conducted on the significant findings to determine the strength of relationship among variables. Main Outcome Measure(s) Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Life Orientation Test–Revised, Rotter Internal/External Locus of Control Scale. Results Significant relationships were identified between optimism and personal burnout (t = −3.30, P = .002) and between optimism and work-related burnout. (t = −2.48, P = .02). No significant relationships were identified between locus of control and any of the burnout-related variables (P > .05). Conclusion Optimism could be an effective buffer against student burnout in professional master's athletic training programs. Athletic training programs should implement various strategies to promote student optimism including proper social support strategies, time management, and stress management to help reduce the onset of burnout in students.