Psychological distress and burnout among buddies: Demographic, situational and motivational factors

Abstract

Work-related psychological distress (burnout) is a probable cause of drop-out among emotional support volunteers (buddies) who work with people living with AIDS. In addition to the emotional suffering and disruption to both the buddy and the buddied, burnout has significant cost implications for voluntary organizations in terms of training and recruitment. The aim of this study was to identify the demographic, situational and motivational factors associated with burnout among buddies with the intention of identifying individuals at risk at the recruitment stage. A cross-sectional single cohort postal questionnaire study design was used. All buddies registered with the Terrence Higgins Trust, a non-profit making organization set up in the UK to provide education about HIV/AIDS and care for people affected by the virus, were invited to participate. Psychological morbidity was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and motivation was assessed using the Calvert Motivation Checklist. Information on the buddy relationship and the demographic details of each buddy was also collected. Of 586 questionnaires distributed, 324 (55%) were returned. More than 24% of buddies were classified as probable cases of burnout on one or more of the MBI scales but this is lower than has been reported in medical and nursing staff working with people living with AIDS. Although a number of demographic, situational and motivational factors were associated with burnout, logistic regression models were unable to identify a useful proportion of individuals at risk. It was concluded that although burnout is an important psychological factor in retaining volunteers, it was not possible to identify individuals at risk of burning out either from their self-reported motivations or from demographic factors.

Peer Support to Promote Medication Adherence Among People Living with HIV/AIDS

“…This has been reported in research investigating burnout among peers (Maslanka, 1996;Claxton et al, 1998;Christensen et al, 1999). Maslanka (1996) reported that burnout arose from the stress of working with a high-demand population, emotional exhaustion, and lack of personal accomplishment.…”

“…Most peer support research in the area of HIV has been limited to HIVnegative volunteers who have provided social support to HIV-positive individuals. Notably, the majority of HIV social support interventions have utilized volunteers who are white heterosexual women or gay men (Christensen et al, 1999;Maslanka, 1996;Claxton et al, 1998;Cassel & Ouellette, 1995). No studies we could locate have examined the psychological benefits for an HIV-positive peer providing the support.…”

The Give and Take of Volunteering: Motives, Benefits, and Personal Connections among Irish Volunteers

“…The volunteer process has been examined in terms of a small group of phenomena, most notably motives or functions (Omoto and Snyder 1995;Penner 2002), individual differences (Okun et al 2000) and role identity (Grube and Piliavin 2000). These concepts have been largely explored through cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal research designs (Claxton et al 1998;Kiviniemi et al 2002).…”

A Test of the Job Demands-Resources Model with HIV/AIDS Volunteers

“…The current study is situated within the context of HIV=AIDS volunteering due to the prominence of burnout problems among these volunteers. For example, Claxton, Catalan, and Burgess (1998) found that 75% of HIV=AIDS volunteers reported moderate or high levels of burnout. Burnout within HIV=AIDS volunteers has been associated with mental health problems.…”