Abstract
Job burnout is characterized by feelings of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion within the context of one’s work. Individuals experiencing burnout are at risk for a range of negative outcomes including increased feelings of stress and emotion strain, negative perceptions of work-life balance, and may ultimately lead to exiting one’s current job or field of employment. Given the well-documented shortages of school psychology practitioners across the USA, it is important to understand the extent of feelings of burnout in the field, causes of these feelings, and potentially effective ways of preventing and/or responding to burnout when it occurs. The current study surveyed practitioners in four Southeastern states regarding current and past feelings of burnout, perceptions of causes of burnout, personal strategies used in dealing with burnout when it occurs, and thoughts regarding the role of training programs in preventing burnout among practitioners. Results indicated that most participants noted feeling some level of burnout at some point during their careers. Commonly identified causes of burnout included feelings of role overload and lack of support from administration. Practitioners also reported a range of strategies as particularly helpful in dealing with feelings of burnout including the importance of training programs emphasizing the importance of self-care and presenting a realistic picture of real-world practice. Implications for future research and practice are also discussed.
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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Schilling, E.J., Randolph, M. & Boan-Lenzo, C. Job Burnout in School Psychology: How Big Is the Problem?. Contemp School Psychol 22, 324–331 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-017-0138-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-017-0138-x