title: Positive perceptions held by support staff in community mental retardation services.
abstract: Existing research on support staff has been focused on variables associated with stress. However, there has been little attention to the possibility that staff may also experience a number of positive outcomes or perceptions. In the present study, 101 support staff working with adults who had mental retardation completed measures of burnout and mental health and a new measure: the Staff Positive Contributions Questionnaire (SPCQ). A range of positive perceptions of their work was endorsed by participants, demonstrating that such perceptions do exist and require theoretical explanation. The SPCQ had promising internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Thus, further research with this instrument is warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom. r.hastings@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horne
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hastings
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D016352:Group Homes; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D006113:United Kingdom