Influence of perceived organisational factors on job burnout: survey of community mental health staff.
BACKGROUND
Staff burnout is a critical issue for mental healthcare delivery, as it can lead to decreased work performance and, ultimately, to poorer treatment outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the relative weight of job-related characteristics and perceived organisational factors in predicting burnout in staff working in community-based psychiatric services.


METHODS
A representative sample of 2000 mental health staff working in the Veneto region, Italy, participated. Burnout and perceived organisational factors were assessed by using the Organizational Checkup Survey.


RESULTS
Overall, high levels of job distress affected nearly two-thirds of the psychiatric staff and one in five staff members suffered from burnout. Psychiatrists and social workers reported the highest levels of burnout, and support workers and psychologists, the lowest. Burnout was mostly predicted by a higher frequency of face-to-face interaction with users, longer tenure in mental healthcare, weak work group cohesion and perceived unfairness.


CONCLUSIONS
Improving the workplace atmosphere within psychiatric services should be one of the most important targets in staff burnout prevention strategies. The potential benefits of such programmes may, in turn, have a favourable impact on patient outcomes.
Lasalvia
Antonio
A
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, 37134-Verona, Italy. antonio.lasalvia@univr.it
Bonetto
Chiara
C
Bertani
Mariaelena
M
Bissoli
Sarah
S
Cristofalo
Doriana
D
Marrella
Giovanna
G
Ceccato
Enrico
E
Cremonese
Carla
C
De Rossi
Moreno
M
Lazzarotto
Lorenza
L
Marangon
Vanna
V
Morandin
Idana
I
Zucchetto
Maria
M
Tansella
Michele
M
Ruggeri
Mirella
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*