The role of child‐keyworker attachment in burnout among Saudi residential staff

Abstract

Research on the impact of the keyworker‐child relationship on residential staff is scarce. This longitudinal study investigated the potential moderating effects of child and keyworker attachment styles on the link between child behavioural problems and staff burnout and the moderating effects of child attachment style on the link between keyworker attachment style and keyworker burnout. Participants included 261 children and 59 residential child care workers, from 5 orphanages in Saudi Arabia. Five self‐report measures were utilised: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Security Scale, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire. Keyworkers caring for relatively non‐avoidant children and those with an avoidant attachment style themselves experienced relatively high burnout a year later. Relatively high burnout was also reported by avoidant keyworkers who cared for avoidant and generally insecure children, while anxiously attached keyworkers reported relatively high burnout when they cared for children with any type of insecure attachment style. The present findings highlight essential interpersonal processes involved in the development of burnout in residential child care workers and call for the employment of attachment‐focused interventions as measures of burnout prevention.

Carer Burden and Burnout in Relation to Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Children’s Homes

“…This is consistent with a study done by (Allday et al, 2020) that had a caregiver's age range of 30 -39. A study done by (Sochos & Aljasas, 2021) also found caregiver burnout among older age carers which is consistent with the findings in this study. Most of the carers were Malay.…”

“…Residential workers can become the targets of such behaviours (Berridge et al, 2011). Child behavioural problems are correlated and predictively associated with staff burnout (Sochos & Aljasas, 2021). Primary caregivers of children with a disruptive behavior disorders may be at particular risk for distress (Oruche et al, 2012) and conduct problems in particular were significant predictors of stress among carers of young people with autism spectrum disorders (Lecavalier et al, 2006).…”

“…When emotionally drained, the staffs are no longer able to give anything of themselves while feeling detached (depersonalization) and incompetent (reduced personal sense of accomplishment) (Maslach, 1986). A previous study among carers in children's homes found high levels of psychological distress and burnout (Siti Halimatul Saadiah, 2016;Sochos & Aljasas, 2021); however, (Allday et al, 2020) found contradicting findings of low depersonalisation and high professional efficacy.…”

Burnout and Moral Distress Among Social Workers Working with Children and Families Versus Those Who Do Not

“…Burnout is a significant concern among social workers internationally (Brown et al, 2019;Fong et al, 2022;Sochos & Aljasas, 2021); and child serving social workers have long been considered at particularly high risk (Anderson, 2000). Maslach and Leiter (2016) describe burnout as a three-dimensional syndrome resulting from prolonged workrelated exposure to interpersonal stressors.…”