Stress, Depression and Turnover Intentions Among School Counselors: Professional Identity and Burnout as Mediators

Abstract

School counselors often experience high levels of stress, partly because they are often expected to perform non-counseling duties due to obscure perceptions of the counselor’s role. Role stress is often related to negative outcomes for the well-being of healthcare and mental health professionals, such as elevated levels of depression and turnover intentions. The main purpose of this study was to examine whether professional identity and burnout mediate the relationship between role stress and negative outcomes (depression and turnover intentions) among a sample of Israeli school counselors (N = 251, 98% female; Mage = 44.40). Results indicated that burnout and professional identity fully mediated the relationship between non-counseling role stress factors and depression and turnover intentions. Findings suggest that strengthening school counselors’ professional identity, alongside reducing potential burnout by reducing non-counseling stress, could improve school counselors’ wellbeing and increase stability in the school system.