Relationship between Psychosocial Work Hazards and Occupational Burnout among Direct Care Staff at Service Institutions for Individuals with Physical and Mental Disabilities

Abstract

Background Understanding the relationship between workplace hazards and occupational burnout among direct care staff at disability service institutions is crucial for cultivating positive workplace environments for employees at such institutions. This study investigated this relationship among direct support staff at disability service institutions and examined the factors associated with occupational burnout. Methods The Chinese versions of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Effort–Reward Imbalance Model, and Demand–Control–Support Model were used to evaluate the work hazards and occupational burnout of direct care staff working at disability service institutions. A total of 361 Taiwanese direct care staff aged ≧ 20 years from six disability service institutions in Taiwan were recruited through convenience sampling, and the data were analyzed via SPSS 22.0 software. Results The mean total psychological job demands score was 19.4 ± 2.6 (range = 13–28), and the total job control score was 65.1 ± 7.7 (range = 42–96). The mean physical job demands score was 2.9 ± 0.6 (range = 1–4), and the total occupational burnout score was 7.7 ± 3.6 (range = 0–20). The correlation matrix revealed a significant relationship between individual psychosocial work hazards and occupational burnout (p < 0.01). Finally, a multivariate multiple regression model revealed that shift work, total job control, psychological job demands, and physical job demands were significantly associated with the total occupational burnout score after controlling for participants’ demographic factors (R2 = 0.454, p < 0.001). Conclusions According to these findings, disability service institutions can cultivate positive workplace environments by understanding the workplace conditions, job stress, and personal characteristics of their employees and the interactions among them and by analyzing the effects of these factors on occupational burnout and workplace fatigue.