Psychosocial work-related predictors and consequences of personal burnout among staff working with people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to investigate the potential predictors of personal burnout among staff working with people with intellectual disabilities and to investigate whether personal burnout is associated with health and work-related outcomes. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2011 in 30 residential facilities in northern Germany (N = 409, response rate 45%). The German standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, we identified factors which were predictive of personal burnout, such as work-privacy conflict (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.03, 1.05), emotional demands (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01, 1.05), role conflicts (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.02, 1.03), job insecurity (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01, 1.05) and feedback (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.97, 0.99). These factors explained 49% of the total variance. Higher levels of personal burnout were significantly correlated with higher rates of intention to leave the job and cognitive stress symptoms (p<.01). Low values of personal burnout were associated with greater job satisfaction, good general health, and higher satisfaction with life (p<.01). The present study indicates that improving the psychosocial work environment at the organizational level may reduce personal burnout and may also diminish unfavorable outcomes, such as intention to leave or job dissatisfaction.

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

“…Nearly half of DSWs were experiencing burnout in at least one burnout category. Compared to the norms, significantly more DSWs (43.7%) reported fatigue and exhaustion on the personal burnout subscale, consistent with the findings of Kozak et al (2013), who reported around 40% of disability staff experienced personal burnout on the CBI and that there was a disproportionate representation of females, as with this DSW sample. Burnout profiles showed DSWs generally did not attribute fatigue to client work, with client-related burnout significantly lower than the norms, whereas work-related burnout significantly exceeded the norms.…”

“…Factors that have been investigated for DSWs include organisational factors (e.g., demands, role stress, support, control), client-related factors (e.g., presence of challenging behaviours), and worker characteristics (e.g., coping skills, locus of control), with organisational variables considered the most reliable burnout predictor (Skirrow & Hatton, 2007). 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).…”

“…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).…”

Exploring demands from the perspective of employees identified as being at risk of burnout

“…Previous research studies provided support for the notion that burnout plays a role in the development of psychological distress (Kozak et al, 2013). A study by Sánchez-Moreno, Roldán, Gallardo-Peralta, and de Roda (2015) showed a strong association between burnout and psychological distress, and confirmed that it is the emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout that shows the strongest correlations with lack of health or well-being in the particular study.…”

“…Job insecurity spoke to employees who did not feel secure in their jobs, and could potentially also lead to employees exiting the organization in pursuit of greater job security and stability. Bosman, Rothmann, and Buitendach (2005) and Kozak, Kersten, Schillmöller, and Nienhaus (2013) support the significant impact of job insecurity on personal burnout.…”