How does work setting relate to burnout among professional psychologists? Five hundred and seventyone doctoral psychologists responded to a survey about professional activities, work environment, and burnout. Solo and group independent practitioners reported a greater sense of personal accomplishment than agency respondents. However, women experienced higher levels of emotional exhaustion in agency settings than in either solo or group independent practice, whereas men experienced higher exhaustion in group independent practice. Overall, greater emotional exhaustion was associated with less control over work activities, working more hours, spending more time on administrative tasks and paperwork, seeing more managed care clients and fewer direct pay clients, and having to deal with more negative client behaviors.

What factors relate to levels of burnout experienced by male and female psychologists? Five hundred ninety-five psychologists responded to a survey about professional activities, work demands and resources, career-sustaining behaviors, and burnout. Respondents in solo or group independent practice reported a greater sense of personal accomplishment, more sources of satisfaction, fewer sources of stress, and more control at work than respondents in agency settings. In addition, women in independent practice reported less emotional exhaustion than women in agency settings. In general, women tended to give higher ratings to the importance of career-sustaining behaviors; however, 6 strategies emerged as highly important for all respondents: maintain sense of humor, maintain self-awareness/self-monitoring, maintain balance between personal and professional lives, maintain professional identity/values, engage in hobbies, and spend time with spouse, partner, or family.

Research has found that men and women psychologists experience burnout differentially depending on the work setting. A total of 497 psychologists responded to a survey designed to replicate this finding and to investigate the role of work-family conflict in contributing to this difference. Results failed to replicate gender differences in levels of burnout according to work setting. In general, the overall pattern of results was the same for men and women. Findings indicated that family support was important for well-being at work and that conflict between work and family domains was associated with burnout. Mediational models indicated that work-family conflict and family-work conflict can help researchers understand the process by which resources or demands in work and family domains influence burnout at work.