What Protects Youth Residential Caregivers from Burning Out? A Longitudinal Analysis of Individual Resilience

Nina Kind, David Bürgin, Jörg M. Fegert and Marc Schmid
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Nina Kind: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
David Bürgin: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Jörg M. Fegert: University Hospital Ulm, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Steinhövelstrasse 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
Marc Schmid: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002 Basel, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Background : Professional caregivers are exposed to multiple stressors and have high burnout rates; however, not all individuals are equally susceptible. We investigated the association between resilience and burnout in a Swiss population of professional caregivers working in youth residential care. Methods : Using a prospective longitudinal study design, participants ( n = 159; 57.9% women) reported on burnout symptoms and sense of coherence (SOC), self-efficacy and self-care at four annual sampling points. The associations of individual resilience measures and sociodemographic variables, work-related and personal stressors, and burnout symptoms were assessed. Cox proportional hazards regressions were calculated to compute hazard ratios over the course of three years. Results : Higher SOC, self-efficacy and self-care were related to lower burnout symptoms in work-related and personal domains. Higher SOC and self-efficacy were reported by older caregivers and by those with children. All three resilience measures were highly correlated. A combined model analysis weakened the protective effect of self-efficacy, leaving only SOC and self-care negatively associated with burnout. Conclusion : This longitudinal analysis suggests that SOC and self-caring behaviour in particular protect against burnout. Our findings could have implications for promoting self-care practices, as well as cultivating a meaningful, comprehensible and manageable professional climate in all facets of institutional care.

Keywords: residential care; burnout; stress; resilience; sense of coherence; self-efficacy; self-care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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