Burnout in mental health professionals: the role of individual characteristics

Abstract

A review of the literature investigating the relationship between individual characteristics and burnout in mental health professionals was conducted; a topic which has been under-represented by prior reviews of burnout in mental health professionals. A review of twenty-one empirical studies suggested individual characteristics do predict burnout in mental health professionals. The evidence indicated that personality traits were predictive of burnout, particularly neuroticism. Whilst negative coping strategies and psychological flexibility may also influence burnout, the studies do not allow for a definitive conclusion at this stage. Research remains predominately cross-sectional and further research could be conducted with a longitudinal design to confirm causality. The theoretical and clinical implications will be discussed.

A lack of research on burnout in CAMHS and growing evidence of the value of considering employees’ psychological characteristics as a means of preventing burnout resulted in an empirical study exploring the relationship between six areas of worklife, self-efficacy and burnout. CAMHS practitioners across four NHS trusts took part in an online survey. Staff reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, low levels of depersonalisation and high levels of personal accomplishment. Regression analyses revealed that employees who did not appear well matched to their workload and rewards experienced higher emotional exhaustion. Employees who experienced poor workload and reduced control at work were reporting lower levels of personal accomplishment. A mediation analysis confirmed individuals’ self-efficacy explained this relationship. Therefore, future interventions should consider promoting employees’ self-efficacy to improve personal accomplishment as well as addressing workload and control at work in order to reduce emotional exhaustion.

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ORCID for Nicholas Maguire: orcid.org/0000-0003-4295-8068

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