title: Work-Based Social Interactions, Perceived Stress, and Workload Incongruence as Antecedents of Athletic Trainer Burnout.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Burnout is an important psychological health concern for working professionals. Understanding how psychological stress and markers of workload contribute to athletic trainers' (ATs') perceptions of burnout is highly valuable. Both positive (social support) and negative social interactions should be considered when examining relationships among markers of ATs' health and wellbeing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the potential effects of social interactions on the relationships between (1) burnout and perceived stress and (2) burnout and workload incongruence in ATs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating ATs completed a computer-based survey during the fall sports season.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responding participants were ATs randomly sampled from the National Athletic Trainers' Association membership (N = 154; men = 78, women = 76; age = 36.8 ± 9.5 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed self-report assessments (Perceived Stress Scale, Social Support Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Social Exchanges, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey) via a secure e-mail link. Workload incongruence was calculated by subtracting anticipated work hours from actual current work hours (6.0 ± 9.6 hours). We used hierarchical multiple regression analyses to examine hypothesized relationships among study variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social interactions did not affect the relationships between burnout and perceived stress or workload incongruence at the global or dimensional level. However, perceived stress (β = .47, P < .001), workload incongruence (β = .12, P < .05), and social support (β = -.25, P < .001) predicted global AT burnout. Negative social interactions trended toward significance (β = .12, P = .055). Our findings suggest that stress perceptions and social support drive the dimensional AT burnout experience, whereas workload incongruence (emotional exhaustion) and negative social interactions (depersonalization) were linked to specific burnout dimensions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social interactions and markers of stress and workload should be considered when seeking to understand ATs' experiences with burnout and to design workplace interventions.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: DeFreese
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Jason P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mihalik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013178:Sports Medicine; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology
keywords: psychological health; social perceptions; sports medicine