title: How Changes in Psychosocial Job Characteristics Impact Burnout in Nurses: A Longitudinal Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this longitudinal study was to test the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model and to analyze whether changes in psychosocial job characteristics are related to (changes in) burnout.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Previous studies on the effects of JDCS variables on burnout dimensions have indicated that the iso-strain hypothesis (i.e., high job demands, low control, and low support additively predict high stress reactions) and the buffer hypotheses (i.e., high job control and/or social support is expected to moderate the negative impact of high demands on stress reactions) have hardly been examined concurrently in a longitudinal design; and that the effects of changes of psychosocial job variables on burnout dimensions have hardly been analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This two wave study was carried out over a period of 14 months in a sample of 217 Italian nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the cross lagged main and interactive effects of JDCS variables, and to analyse the across-time effects of changes in JDCS dimensions on burnout variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Time 1 job characteristics explained 2-8% of the variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions, but no support for the additive, or the buffer hypothesis of the JDCS model was found. Changes in job characteristics explained an additional 3-20% of variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions. Specifically, high levels of emotional exhaustion at Time 2 were explained by high levels of social support at Time 1, and unfavorable changes in demands, control, and support over time; high depersonalization at Time 2 was explained by high social support at time 1 and by an increase in demands over time; and high personal accomplishment at Time 2 was predicted by high demands, high control, interactive effect demands × control × social support, at Time 1, and by a decrease in demands over time. No reversed effects of burnout on work characteristics have been found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the work environment is subject to changes: the majority of employees experienced considerable changes in all job conditions over time. These changes impacted employee burnout. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.
authors: Faculty of Psychology, Niccolò Cusano University Rome, Italy.
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Pisanti
authors: Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands.
authors: Margot
authors: M
authors: van der Doef
authors: Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands.
authors: Stan
authors: S
authors: Maes
authors: Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchatel Neuchatel, Switzerland.
authors: Laurenz Linus
authors: LL
authors: Meier
authors: Section of Clinical and Medical Psychology, Hospital S. Maria Terni, Italy.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Lazzari
authors: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy.
authors: Cristiano
authors: C
authors: Violani
keywords: burnout; change model; job demands control support model; longitudinal study; nurses