Core Self‐Evaluations,Work–Family Conflict,and Burnout

This study investigated how core self‐evaluations relate to work–family (and family–work) conflict and burnout. Drawing from a sample of 289 police officers and civilian staff who were either married or living in a union as common‐law partners, this study advances an empirical integration of work–family and core self‐evaluations research. The results suggested that even when work, nonwork, and demographic variables are controlled for, positive core self‐evaluations (i.e., composite scale, self‐esteem, locus of control, emotional stability) are related to less work–family (and family–work) conflict. The associations between core self‐evaluations and burnout are partially mediated by work–family (and family–work) conflict. Finally, core self‐evaluations moderated the association between work–family conflict and burnout, but not the one between family–work conflict and burnout.     

From Role Conflict to Job Burnout: A Mediation Model Moderated by Mindfulness

This study examined the moderated mediating effect of mindfulness as an emotional resource on the relationship between role conflict and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy) via negative affect. Participants were 481 adult employees in South Korea who provided self-report data 2 times with a 2-week interval. The results indicated that mindfulness moderated the relationship between role conflict and negative affect such that the effect of role conflict on negative affect was reduced when mindfulness was high. Furthermore, Time 1 role conflict had conditional indirect effects on 3 facets of burnout measured at Time 2 through Time 1 negative affect depending on the levels of Time 1 mindfulness. The findings suggest that mindfulness may prevent the development of negative affect from role conflict, ultimately reducing the impact of role conflict on burnout. Practitioners should introduce workplace mindfulness programs to help employees cope with burnout more effectively.     

Exhausted,Stressed, and Disengaged: Does Employment Create Burnout for Social Work Students?

Although burnout is a known risk for practitioners, some social work students may experience burnout in the classroom as a result of role conflict from balancing academics with employment. Higher rates of burnout occur in other disciplines in employed students, even higher than in professionals, because of the stress of shifting priorities between workplace and collegiate responsibilities. Employment can decrease collegiate engagement and academic competence and deter persistence to degree, all of which lead to the reduced competency associated with burnout. Additionally, physical and mental health factors are associated with role conflict, leading to a higher risk of burnout for employed students and resulting in burnout for social work students in the classroom even prior to becoming a practitioner.     

Workplace stress among psychiatric nurses. Prevalence,distribution, correlates, & predictors

Vicarious trauma and burnout are serious manifestations of workplace stress. Both can have substantial consequences for health care professionals, health services, and consumers. This article reports results of a study examining the prevalence, distribution, correlates, and predictors of vicarious trauma and burnout among registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs). A survey was distributed to all practicing RPNs in Manitoba, Canada (N = 1,015). The survey contained the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale (i.e., a measure of vicarious trauma), and a section on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The RPNs were found to be experiencing high levels of emotional exhaustion (i.e., high burnout) and even higher levels of personal accomplishment (i.e., low burnout). No significant differences were found between respondents' total scores on the Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale and instrument norms for mental health care professionals. Predictors of burnout and vicarious trauma also are presented in this article. Stress experienced by RPNs, as well as strengths on which to build, clearly are evident in the study results. Strategies for reduction in workplace stress may benefit psychiatric nurses, clients, and health services.     

Burnout among employees of state residential facilities serving developmentally disabled persons

This research was conducted to determine the prevalence of and variables associated with “burnout” among employees at state residential facilities serving the developmentally disabled. Fourteen heterogeneous facilities from 11 states participated. The sample consisted of 256 top level administrators, 244 direct care professionals, and 224 direct care workers. Subjects from the latter two categories were randomly selected. The results indicated that 15% of the sample were experiencing attitudinal, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Personal variables found to relate significantly to burnout were age, sex, and marital status. Four facility variables showed a significant relationship to burnout: turnover, decision levels, number of directors within the past five years, and fringe benefits. Work related variables showed significant correlations with burnout in 42 of 45 incidences, but none of them were substantial. The findings tend to support the idiosyncratic nature of stress at work which decreases the likelihood of finding a few variables which act as “common causes” of burnout. Results also suggest that the most dedicated, competent, and productive staff members are perhaps the most vulnerable to burnout.     

Role Conflict and Ambiguity

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between role conflict and role ambiguity, and burnout of mental health service providers. The study used a sample of 259 mental health service providers who completed a questionnaire that included several measures: role conflict and ambiguity scales, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, social support scales and an involvement scale. Results showed that role conflict and role ambiguity had statistically significant correlations with several of the burnout dimensions. The author discusses the potential implications for increasing workers' quality of work life.     

Associations of Marital Conflict With Emotional and Physiological Stress: Evidence for Different Patterns of Dysregulation

The goal of this study was to explore theoretically suggested but untested links between interparental conflict and stress physiology in late adolescence. A multi‐method study was conducted involving families (n = 42) who previously participated in the University California, Irvine site of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development; adolescents were 17½ years of age on average. Parent report and observer ratings of conflict, adolescent participation in a robust social‐evaluative stressor, and assessment of cortisol, cardiovascular, and emotional functioning were included. Marital conflict was associated with dampened physiological stress responses in adolescence but sensitized emotional responses, suggesting that conflict may be associated with problems integrating and coordinating emotional and physiological responses to stress.     

The role of self-care on compassion satisfaction,burnout and secondary trauma among child welfare workers

Child welfare workers are routinely exposed to multiple traumatic events when working with children and families, and are at an increased risk of experiencing burnout and secondary trauma. Self-care is often recommended as a restorative or protective activity against the negative effects of working with traumatized individuals, although few studies have examined the benefit of self-care empirically. Trauma-informed self-care (TISC) includes being aware of one's own emotional experience in response to exposure to traumatized clients and planning/engaging in positive coping strategies, such as seeking supervision, attending trainings on secondary trauma, working within a team, balancing caseloads, and work–life balance. Compared with generic personal care activities, TISC is likely to be especially relevant for child welfare workers. This study examined the role of TISC on compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary trauma which was assessed by administering surveys to a sample of 104 child welfare case managers and supervisors. Almost one third of the sample reported high levels of burnout (29.8%) and secondary trauma (28.8%), and low levels of compassion satisfaction (31.7%). Results suggested that workers who engaged in higher levels of TISC experienced higher levels of compassion satisfaction and lower levels of burnout, although there was no relationship with secondary trauma. Findings provide preliminary evidence that TISC may be a beneficial practice to reduce risk of burnout and preserve workers' positive experience of their job, however workers experiencing secondary trauma are likely to need additional specialized intervention to assist them with their recovery.     

Role Strain,Emotion Management,and Burnout: Homeschooling Mothers' Adjustment to the Teacher Role

Drawing from three years of field research with a homeschooling support group in the Pacific Northwest, I present the emotional stages mothers passed through as they tried to integrate the teacher role into their busy lives. In most cases, mothers found teaching more demanding than they had expected, straining their other roles as mothers and homemakers, as well as causing emotional burnout. To manage their insecurity, anxiety, and stress, mothers employed a variety of emotion management techniques. Mothers who successfully overcame burnout prioritized some roles, combined others, and received significant support from their husbands. I conclude by discussing the implications for theories of burnout.     

Vicarious traumatization,secondary traumatic stress,and burnout in sexual assault and domestic violence agency staff

This study investigated three occupational hazards of therapy with trauma victims: vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress (or "compassion fatigue"), which describe therapists' adverse reactions to clients' traumatic material, and burnout, a stress response experienced in many emotionally demanding "people work" jobs. Among 101 trauma counselors, client exposure workload and being paid as a staff member (vs. volunteer) were related to burnout sub-scales, but not as expected to overall burnout or vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, or general distress. More educated counselors and those seeing more clients reported less vicarious trauma. Younger counselors and those with more trauma counseling experience reported more emotional exhaustion. Findings have implications for training, treatment, and agency support systems.     

The Influence of Managed Care on Job-Related Attitudes of Social Workers

This study explores the relationships between the levels of conflict that social workers experience when interfacing with managed care organizations and outcome variables including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions. A total of 591 social workers practicing in mental health agencies in New York State completed self-administered and anonymous questionnaire packets that included several measures: Level of conflict that workers experience when interfacing with managed care organizations (CMC), job satisfaction, organizational commitment, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions. Results showed that CMC had statistically significant correlations with organizational commitment and with emotional exhaustion. The author discusses the role of social work schools and agencies in offering new educational opportunities and training in order to improve workers' skills, which are necessary for communicating and negotiating with managed care organizations.     

Stress,satisfaction and role conflict in dual-doctor partnerships

Stress in doctors has major implications for themselves, their family and patients. In dual-doctor partnerships, stress may or may not be compounded. Previous studies have suggested that demands of work have a greater impact on home life than vice versa, and that there may be a gender difference in stress between work and home. This study compared perceived stress, satisfaction and conflict for professional males and females working in dual-doctor partnerships investigating the bi-directional relationship between work and home roles. A sample of 244 male and female doctors in dual-career partnerships working in the National Health Service in Scotland completed a self-report questionnaire. Male doctors perceived their work as more stressful and less satisfying than females. Work stress had a greater impact on home life than vice versa, but there were no gender differences in levels of stress from work to home (WH) or home to work (HW). However, more males than females, particularly younger males, reported that work was a source of conflict with their partner. WH stress predicted marital conflict for both male and female doctors, whereas HW stress predicted marital conflict only for females. Time on call out of hours, the ethical commitment to medicine, and work encroaching into family time were identified as major sources of conflict. These findings have implications both for the well-being of doctors and their families, and for patient care, and for other professionals in dual-career partnerships.     

Teachers' Occupation‐Specific Work‐Family Conflict

To expand work‐family conflict (WFC) research to specific occupations, this study investigated how work and family generic and occupation‐specific stressors and support variables related to family interfering with work (F → W) and work interfering with family (W → F) among 230 Israeli high school teachers. Further expanding WFC research, the authors assessed WFC effects on burnout and vigor. Results indicated that W → F conflict was related to generic variables and more so to distinctive teaching characteristics (e.g., investment in student behavior and parent‐teacher relations). Both W → F and F → W predicted burnout, whereas only F → W predicted vigor. Implications for WFC research and occupational health programs are discussed.     

Staff burnout from a social perspective

Physical distress, emotional distress, and cognitive fatigue are common symptons of burnout. The consequences of burnout affect the effectiveness of the care giver, the client, and the agency employing the burned out worker. The authors emphasize the societal context in which we all work and the changes in this context that have led to changes in the attitudes, behaviors, and roles of care givers and recipients. The change of role perception and the role behavior has occurred in a wide variety of public agencies. The authors suggest establishing agency guidelines for personal and system limitations concerning assistance to clients. Care givers can also work on an individual basis with clients and outline limits of assistance. As more people seek assistance when resources are limited, the need to build realistic expectations for the care giver, client, and agencies increase.     

Dropout of Hospital Volunteers in Italy

Voluntary work in Charities is a constantly growing reality: in particular, in the last few years, voluntary work in hospitals has become of great importance, marking a substantial increase of commitment in social issues. However, at the same time, volunteering Charities have been plagued by the increase of the phenomenon of dropout, that is, volunteers abandoning the Charitable Association they’re working in, often after a relatively short period of activity. In this study, we attempted to verify if and how active and dropped out volunteers perceive their own activity as a source of anxiety and stress. Our data show that both active and dropped out volunteers show high levels of burnout; in fact, dropped out volunteers show higher levels of burnout, especially of emotional exhaustion, in comparison with active volunteers. Subsequently, we identified the factors potentially assuming the role of mediators or moderators in the direct relation involving the status of voluntary work activity and the levels of anxiety and burnout. Our study demonstrates that coping strategies and the relationship established with hospital workers can be considered good moderators.     

The influence of risk and protective factors on burnout experienced by those who work with maltreated children

The aim of the study was to explore the degree (and type) of burnout and trauma symptoms, personal histories and coping strategies retrospectively reported by those who work with maltreated children and their families. A self‐selected sample of workers (N = 44) completed a self‐report questionnaire assessing childhood maltreatment, family background characteristics, current adjustment, coping strategies and burnout. Workers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and a low to moderate sense of personal accomplishment. Family background characteristics predicted the occurrence of maltreatment and current adjustment, and a personal history of maltreatment predicted current trauma symptoms, but not burnout. Workers most frequently used problem‐focused coping strategies and sought social support; however, coping strategies were not associated with the level of either trauma symptoms or burnout. Despite employing positive coping strategies, their efficacy may be affected by other interpersonal, intra‐individual and job resource issues. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between student core self-evaluations,support for school,and the work–school interface

More students than ever before are combining the experience of higher education with paid employment, but relatively little research has been done exploring how students manage these roles. In the current study, we explored the association between personality (i.e. core self-evaluations) and support, both specific to the school context. The relationship between support for school and both work–school conflict (WSC) and work-school enrichment (WSE) were also studied, and in turn, associated outcomes (i.e. grade point average, job satisfaction, general psychological health, and school burnout) of inter-role conflict and enrichment. In a two-wave study of 291 employed college students, we found that individuals high in school-specific core self-evaluations perceived greater organizational support and family support for school, which was associated with decreased WSC and increased WSE (through organizational support). In turn, WSC was related to lower general psychological health and higher school burnout whereas WSE was related to higher job satisfaction. These findings are consistent with theories of personality and stress, conservation of resources theory, and organizational support theory, and suggest that both organizations and universities have a role to play in helping students manage ‘learner’ and ‘earner’ roles.     

Factors related to casino dealer burnout and turnover intention in Macau: Implications for casino management

This study examined 172 casino dealers in Macau in order to understand dealers' feelings and attitudes about working in a casino. Several personality variables (emotional suppression, neuroticism, and need for achievement), organizational variables, i.e., organizational socialization (training, understanding, coworker support, future prospects), and distributive justice, were assessed in relation to casino dealers' job burnout, and work and pay satisfaction. All variables were tested as correlates of work and pay satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention. Regressions found emotional suppression (a behaviour required of casino dealers) to be a strong negative predictor of work satisfaction; while training, distributive justice, and need for achievement were positive predictors. Emotional suppression and neuroticism were positive predictors of burnout; while future prospects and work satisfaction were negative predictors. Also, the future prospects and understanding dimensions of organizational socialization negatively predicted turnover intention. Results are interpreted in relation to casino administration and the management of casino dealers.     

Does job resource loss reduce burnout and job exit for professionally trained social workers in child welfare?

This study contributes to the literature on burnout and turnover in child welfare by examining the applicability of conservation of resources theory (COR). This theory argues that a loss of resources leads to the stress underlying burnout. This article examines the loss of two resources in particular: (a) the loss of a member of the entering cohort of workers and (b) change in the coethnic population of the community in which the social worker practices. In this sample of 1001 specially trained social workers, 44.3% reported high levels of emotional exhaustion or burnout. Stress was positively associated with burnout. Likewise, job satisfaction was protective against burnout. Furthermore, coethnic resources were associated with higher personal accomplishment scores for Asian–American, Hispanic, and Caucasian workers. Cohort member loss was not associated with burnout when controlling for personal resources and organizational factors, but cohort member loss did triple the odds of others in the cohort leaving. However, burnout was not associated with job exit in this sample. Although this study did not find evidence that cohort loss or coethnic loss was associated with burnout, it raises questions for further research about the social network implications of turnover.