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Burnout among psychosocial oncologists in Israel: The direct and indirect effects of job demands and job resources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2017

Shiri Shinan-Altman ,
Miri Cohen ,
Victoria Rasmussen ,
Adrienne Turnell  and
Phyllis Butow
Shiri Shinan-Altman*
Affiliation:
Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Miri Cohen
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
Victoria Rasmussen
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Adrienne Turnell
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Phyllis Butow
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-Making, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Shiri Shinan-Altman, Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective

Psychosocial oncologists may be particularly vulnerable to burnout. This study aimed to assess burnout among Israeli psychosocial oncologists in relation to the Job Demands-Resources model and the coping strategies model.

Method

Participants included 85 of 128 listed psychosocial oncologists currently working with cancer patients. They completed a questionnaire assessing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, job demands, job resources, work engagement, overcommitment, and perceived value of work.

Results

The mean level of burnout was low, whereas 16.3% experienced high levels of emotional exhaustion and only 2.4% experienced high levels of depersonalization. According to mediation analysis, overcommitment, partially mediated job demands-burnout associations, and work engagement mediated the perceived value-burnout association. Job resources and burnout were not related, either directly or indirectly.

Significance of results

The study extended the Job Demands-Resources model to include perceived value as an additional resource, and work-engagement and overcommitment as coping strategies. Two distinct patterns of associations were found between work characteristics and burnout: the positive-protective pattern (perceived value and work engagement) and the negative pattern (job demands and overcommitment). These two patterns should be considered for further research and for implementing preventive interventions to reduce burnout in the workplace setting.

Keywords

Burnoutpsychosocial oncologistsjob demands-resources modelwork engagementover-commitmentperceived value
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2018 , pp. 677 - 684
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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