School Psychologist Self-care Practices and Burnout Symptoms

School psychologists face a host of responsibilities and stressors in their profession. Burnout is a common issue among school psychologists and other helping professionals. Self-care has been noted as a preventative measure against burnout, but there is little extant research on its relationship to burnout. A survey was conducted with currently practicing school psychologists in the United States to find a connection between the presence and frequency of self-care practice and burnout symptoms. The survey found considerable differences in burnout scores between school psychologists who reported practicing self-care, compared to those who did not. Moreover, significant inverse correlations were found between self-care frequency and burnout symptoms. This study helps contribute to the rationale for demonstrating self-care as an evidence-based preventative approach to burnout in school psychologists