title: Predictors of Employment Burnout Among VHA Peer Support Specialists.
abstract: This study evaluated three domains of job burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and factors associated with burnout in a national sample of peer specialists (PSs) employed at 138 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care systems in 49 states.
  
  
  
  Data were drawn from an observational study in which participants (N=152) completed online, self-report surveys about their mental health recovery, quality of life, and employment experiences at baseline, six months, and 12 months. Levels of burnout were analyzed at each time point, and regression analyses that controlled for baseline levels identified potential predictors of burnout (demographic, clinical, and employment characteristics) at six and 12 months.
  
  
  
  Compared with previously published burnout levels of other mental health workers in the VHA, PSs reported similar levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. At baseline, increased burnout was correlated with white race, fewer hours providing direct services, greater psychiatric symptoms, and lower self-efficacy. However, analyses did not reveal strong predictors of burnout scores at six or 12 months.
  
  
  
  In the first study to prospectively examine job burnout among PSs employed by the VHA, results illustrate the nuanced experience of burnout over a 12-month period and suggest the need for replication and further research on employment experiences of this emerging workforce.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Park was with the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs (VA) Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 5), Baltimore, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, at the time of the study and is now with Rockville Internal Medicine Group, Rockville, Maryland (e-mail: spark@priviamedicalgroup.com ). Dr. Chang is with the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, and the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Eisen are with the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dr. Mueller is with VISN 1 MIRECC and Dr. Eisen is with the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research. Dr. Eisen is also with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston. Dr. Resnick is with VISN 1 MIRECC, West Haven, Connecticut, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Stephanie Grace
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Dr. Park was with the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs (VA) Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 5), Baltimore, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, at the time of the study and is now with Rockville Internal Medicine Group, Rockville, Maryland (e-mail: spark@priviamedicalgroup.com ). Dr. Chang is with the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, and the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Eisen are with the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dr. Mueller is with VISN 1 MIRECC and Dr. Eisen is with the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research. Dr. Eisen is also with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston. Dr. Resnick is with VISN 1 MIRECC, West Haven, Connecticut, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Bei-Hung
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Dr. Park was with the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs (VA) Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 5), Baltimore, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, at the time of the study and is now with Rockville Internal Medicine Group, Rockville, Maryland (e-mail: spark@priviamedicalgroup.com ). Dr. Chang is with the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, and the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Eisen are with the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dr. Mueller is with VISN 1 MIRECC and Dr. Eisen is with the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research. Dr. Eisen is also with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston. Dr. Resnick is with VISN 1 MIRECC, West Haven, Connecticut, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Dr. Park was with the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs (VA) Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 5), Baltimore, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, at the time of the study and is now with Rockville Internal Medicine Group, Rockville, Maryland (e-mail: spark@priviamedicalgroup.com ). Dr. Chang is with the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, and the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Eisen are with the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dr. Mueller is with VISN 1 MIRECC and Dr. Eisen is with the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research. Dr. Eisen is also with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston. Dr. Resnick is with VISN 1 MIRECC, West Haven, Connecticut, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Sandra G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: Dr. Park was with the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs (VA) Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network [VISN] 5), Baltimore, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, at the time of the study and is now with Rockville Internal Medicine Group, Rockville, Maryland (e-mail: spark@priviamedicalgroup.com ). Dr. Chang is with the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, and the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Eisen are with the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dr. Mueller is with VISN 1 MIRECC and Dr. Eisen is with the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research. Dr. Eisen is also with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston. Dr. Resnick is with VISN 1 MIRECC, West Haven, Connecticut, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Susan V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Eisen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*