Antecedents and Consequences of Burnout Among Professional Psychologists

Mental health professionals are thought to be uniquely at risk for burnout due to the personal nature of their work and the types of clients with whom they work. But, while the phenomenon of burnout has received attention in the general occupational health literature, research focused on the predictors and outcomes of burnout among professional psychologists remains relatively limited. This study focused on the antecedents and consequences of the emotional exhaustion and client depersonalization components of burnout and, guided by the job demands-resources model, had three main aims: a) examine job demands and job resources as predictors of emotional exhaustion and client depersonalization, b) examine the role of job resources in buffering the impact of job demands on emotional exhaustion, and c) examine the role of emotional exhaustion and client depersonalization in leading to professional impairment. These aims were addressed via latent variable path modeling using self-report data from psychologists licensed in the state of Illinois (n = 362). Results indicated that job demands and resources were both unique and significant predictors of emotional exhaustion and client depersonalization, however, the predictive strength of job demands was significantly stronger. Additionally, exhaustion was significantly related to professional impairment and there was evidence that it mediated the relationship between job demands and professional impairment. Theoretical implications are discussed, as well as practical implications for the ethical practice of psychology