title: Burnout and death anxiety in hospice social workers.
abstract: Hospice work has been regarded as particularly stressful due to the complexity inherent in the provision of end-of-life care. Burnout and death anxiety are especially relevant to hospice social workers because they regularly function in a high-stress, high-loss environment. The purpose of this study was threefold: to determine the prevalence of burnout and death anxiety among hospice social workers; to examine associations between burnout and death anxiety; and to explore the factors which may contribute to the development of death anxiety and burnout. Participants completed four items: the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), the Death Anxiety Questionnaire (DAQ), a demographic questionnaire, and a set of open-ended questions. Findings indicate that mean scores on the subscales of the MBI-HSS ranged from the low to moderate range and that a strong positive correlation existed between death anxiety and the depersonalization subscale of the MBI. Three key themes emerged from the qualitative data: (a) personal interest in hospice social work developed through a variety of ways; (b) although death anxiety decreased from exposure and understanding of the death process, there was increased death anxiety surrounding working with certain patients; and (c) burnout was primarily related to workload or difficult cases.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Social Work , University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire , Eau Claire , Wisconsin , USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quinn-Lee
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olson-McBride
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unterberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012947:Social Work
keywords: burnout; death anxiety; hospice; social work