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Staff stress and burnout in a community adult mental health service

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2021

Norella Broderick Open the ORCID record for Norella Broderick [Opens in a new window] ,
Roisin Vaughan Open the ORCID record for Roisin Vaughan [Opens in a new window] ,
Fiona McNicholas Open the ORCID record for Fiona McNicholas [Opens in a new window]  and
Larkin Feeney
Norella Broderick
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Community Services, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Ireland
Roisin Vaughan
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Community Services, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Ireland
Fiona McNicholas
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland CHI Crumlin, Dublin 12, Ireland SMMS University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Larkin Feeney*
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Community Services, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Larkin Feeney, Cluain Mhuire Community Services, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Ireland. Email larkin.feeney@sjog.ie
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Abstract

Objectives:

Burnout has been associated with medical errors and low levels should be considered an indicator of service quality. This study examined the level of personal, work and client-related burnout in medical, other clinical and non-clinical staff in an adult community mental health service.

Methods:

An anonymous study-specific questionnaire was designed and circulated to all staff with an explanatory document. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used as a validated measure of burnout, with high levels reflecting high rates of stress and burnout. Further questions were added from Maslach Burnout Inventory and effort–reward imbalance index. Information on demographics, job satisfaction, turnover intention, feeling valued and effort/reward balance was gathered and analysed.

Results:

The overall response rate was 47.4% (63/133), of whom 43 were clinical staff. Overall levels of burnout were low and similar across staff type, with only 30.1% showing moderate levels of burnout, and none in the ‘high-burnout’ category. All staff displayed positive disposition towards patients, with lower client burnout, as compared to personal and work-related burnout. All medical staff felt valued in their work, with lower rates in the other groups (48.7% of non-medical clinicians and 58.3% of non-clinical staff).

Conclusions:

Relatively low levels of overall burnout were reported among clinical and non-clinical staff working in our adult mental health service. These rates are similar to the levels identified in a national study of burnout in Irish hospital doctors but lower than the levels found among consultants in Irish child and adolescent mental health services.

Keywords

Burnoutmental healthpsychiatrystress
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , September 2023 , pp. 387 - 395
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland

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