Authoritarianism, inner/other directedness, and sensation seeking in firefighter/paramedics: their relationship with burnout.
BACKGROUND
Burnout in firefighter/paramedics (FF/EMT-Ps) is widely believed to exist, but few empirical data support its existence, symptomatology, or intervention. Understanding the extent, nature, and cause of burnout is crucial to improving employee morale and performance.


METHODS
Ninety-one FF/EMT-Ps employed by Salt Lake County Fire Department.


OBJECTIVE
Three specific hypotheses were tested: 1) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout will also score high on authoritarianism; 2) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on inner-directedness; and 3) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on sensation seeking.


METHODS
In this descriptive study, FF/EMT-Ps completed four standardized instruments measuring authoritarianism, burnout, inner-directedness versus other-directedness, and sensation seeking.


RESULTS
Firefighters who scored high on burnout also scored high on authoritarianism and on the sensation-seeking subscale of boredom. Burnout did not correlate with the overall sensation-seeking scale or with its other subscales (thrill, experience, and disinhibition), or inner-directedness versus other-directedness.


CONCLUSIONS
A focus on control issues needs to be an integral part of programs for decreasing employee burnout among FF/EMT-Ps. Specific components of such programs should include stress management and counseling. In addition, management personnel need to be taught not only to assist direct-service staff, but also to recognize and deal with their own control issues as they affect job performance.
Palmer
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Salt Lake County Fire Department, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001318:Authoritarianism; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014589:Utah