The Effects of Aggression Subtypes on Burnout and Caregiver Instability in Direct Support Professionals

Abstract

Aggression is a known contributor to burnout and caregiver instability among direct support professionals (DSPs) caring for adults with developmental disabilities. However, few studies have explored the differential effects of aggression subtypes on caregivers and what implications these may have for intervention planning. This longitudinal study examined whether different types of aggression were associated with greater burnout and instability in DSPs. Ninety DSPs reported on their experiences working with aggressive clients with developmental disabilities at baseline and at a 3-month follow-up. Participants were roughly representative of the population of DSPs in the United States. Verbal aggression and reduced length of time knowing the aggressive adult significantly predicted caregiver instability, with participants who had stopped working with the aggressive adult experiencing significantly worse verbal aggression than participants who were still working with the adult at follow-up. Hostile affect significantly predicted burnout. Verbal aggression and hostility, which are less frequently targeted for intervention as more dangerous forms of aggression, pose risks for caregivers and therefore warrant active attention through intervention. DSPs would benefit from training on how to diffuse and redirect verbal aggression and hostility, as well as use coping strategies to mitigate against the negative emotional effects of aggression.

Predictors of secondary traumatic stress among intellectual and developmental disabilities workforce: An examination of risk and protective factors.

“…Direct support professionals (DSPs) are often the primary source of support for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) and their quality of life and serve as a valuable resource to organizations who provide services to the IDD population (Friedman, 2018; Houseworth et al, 2020; Keesler, 2020). The range of support they provide spans from ensuring individuals’ basic health, safety, and welfare needs; supporting the development of independent living skills; and supporting in-community integration and relationship building goals (Keesler, 2020; Nevill et al, 2022). The various supports IDD individuals receive from DSPs enables them to live in every community throughout the United States.…”

Assessment of Challenging Behavior Exhibited by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

“…Perceived stress and emotional exhaustion among support workers was also positively correlated with the occurrence of CB [ 121 , 133 , 149 , 150 ]. This association could be mediated by the negative emotions of the support worker [ 149 ] or by fear of being attacked [ 150 ].…”

“…However, the literature suggests that other contextual variables have a significant impact on the treatment of CB. Specifically, training affects professional competence, the emotional well-being of professionals, and the retention of staff in the job [ 121 , 188 , 189 ]. Moreover, efforts to explore the relationship between CB and other disorders are also needed.…”

“…As shown in Table 3, most of the relational studies used a version of the BPI [29,31,, the ABC [94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101], or the ABC-C [33,[105][106][107][108][109][110][111]. The other instruments used for these studies were ASD-BPA [115][116][117][118][119], CCB [30,[147][148][149][150][151], MOAS [153][154][155], RBS-S [157][158][159], IBR-MOAS [152], RBQ [156], and A-SHARP [121]. Thirteen studies used different combinations of the aforementioned instruments [28,32,[102][103][104]112,113,120,[143]…”

Desafios enfrentados pelos cuidadores de pessoas com deficiência intelectual: uma revisão integrativa da literatura

“…Contudo, o conjunto de habilidades sociais pode estar associado as questões psicossociais, como quadros de depressão e ansiedade, isolamento social e baixa estima podendo ser reflexo do ambiente caótico em que está inserido, logo afeta a integridade psicossocial daqueles que fazem parte da rede de apoio e dos mesmos (Marshak;Lasinsky;Williams, 2019;Nevill;Istvan;Havercamp, 2022).…”