Predicting Burnout Syndrome in Professionals in Mental Health Settings

The aim of the study was to explore predictors of burnout in clinicians working across different mental health settings in Greece. The Maslach & Jackson Inventory (MBI; Maslach & Jackson, 1981) was used to evaluate burnout syndrome and assess the relationship between demographic factors (age, children, education & job experience) and each sub-factor (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation & personal accomplishment) of the MBI. Results revealed that out of three burnout factors, emotional exhaustion (EE) and personal accomplishment (PA) demonstrated one significant predictor each whereas depersonalisation (DP) showed no significant predictors. In addition, job experience (years in the job) was found to be a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion in clinical staff. Further analysis showed no significant differences across job type for emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation , and personal accomplishment. The findings are discussed with a focus on prevention and coping strategies for clinicians working in mental health settings