Work Setting and Burnout Among Professional Psychologists.

How does work setting relate to burnout among professional psychologists? Five hundred and seventy-one 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. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career-Sustaining Behaviors, Satisfactions, and Stresses of Professional Psychologists.

A random sample of licensed psychologists from Illinois (N=286) responded to a survey about career-sustaining behaviors (CSBs) and about satisfactions and stresses they experience at work. The highest rated CSBs were spending time with partner/family, maintaining a balance between personal and professional lives, and maintaining a sense of humor. Overall, more satisfied respondents reported greater importance of CSBs. Female respondents reported significantly greater use of CSBs than male respondents and were more likely to endorse behaviors that were relational or educational in nature, such as participating in personal therapy, spending time with friends, discussing work frustrations with colleagues, seeking case consultation, maintaining regular contact with referral networks, participating in continuing-education programs, reflecting on positive experiences, and engaging in quiet leisure activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical orientations and work settings of clinical and counseling psychologists: A current perspective.

Questionnaires returned by 387 American Psychological Association Division 12 (Clinical) and Division 17 (Counseling) members were analyzed in terms of the theoretical orientations and work settings of the respondents. Comparisons by division affiliation and age were made. Overall, more than three fourths of the sample drew from at least two theoretical orientations, and more than half of the respondents reported at least two work settings. Clinical psychologists seem to be undergoing a shift in terms of preferred theoretical orientation; younger members heavily preferred behavioral approaches, whereas older members preferred psychodynamic approaches. Younger counseling psychologists, meanwhile, appeared to be more interested in private practice than did their older colleagues, who tended to prefer academic and agency settings. These findings suggest that clinical and counseling psychology are dissimilar enough to argue against merger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managed Care and the Independent Practice of Psychology.

How has managed care impacted the independent practice of psychology? The present article reports on data from 2 national surveys (from 1996 and 2001) that address this question. Both surveys indicated that managed care was a source of stress, with external constraints, paperwork, and managed care reimbursement being the most highly rated stresses. These stresses had not increased in the 5 years between surveys, and the most recent survey suggested that, overall, psychologists did not report high levels of burnout. However, in contrast to respondents with low managed care involvement, respondents with high managed care caseloads worked longer hours, had more client contact, received less supervision, reported more negative client behaviors, experienced more stress, were less satisfied with their incomes, and scored higher on emotional exhaustion. Implications for burnout are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding stress and burnout in shelter workers.

Crisis intervention workers and other front-line mental health workers often face excessive stress and seek psychotherapy or supervision and support from professional psychologists. The authors sought information on job-related stressors, coping mechanisms, and burnout levels and found that shelter workers who reported high job-related stress and low social support may be most vulnerable to experiencing burnout symptoms. Psychologists providing clinical or consultation services to domestic violence shelter staff should emphasize the importance of creating a supportive work environment, developing a sense of personal accomplishment related to one's work, and teaching and modeling helpful coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work-family spillover and life satisfaction among professional psychologists.

How do the professional lives of psychologists influence their personal and family lives? Data from 485 psychologists who responded to a survey on professional and family life were analyzed to examine work-to-family spillover, life satisfaction, and family support. Respondents reported a significantly higher incidence of positive spillover, termed family enhancers, than negative spillover, termed family stressors. The low incidence of family stressors suggested that stresses associated with the professional work of psychology do not routinely spill over into professionals' family lives. Both positive and negative spillover, however, played significant roles in mediating the relationship between work and family domains. On the positive side, a sense of personal accomplishment at work was associated with increased family enhancers, which appeared to lead to greater family support and life satisfaction. On the negative side, emotional exhaustion at work was associated with more family stressors, which appeared to lead to less family support and life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological practice and managed care: Results of the CAPP practitioner survey.

Practicing members of the American Psychological Association (APA) were surveyed regarding their work settings, activities, and greatest professional concerns in the managed care era. Results from 15,918 licensed psychologists indicated that half were full-time independent practitioners engaged principally in psychotherapy and assessment and another third were in part-time private practice. Four out of five reported a negative impact of managed care on their practices. Concerns about changes to practice and ethical dilemmas as a result of managed care policies were common to all settings. Relatively few differences were apparent between earlier and more recent generations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in practice patterns and income among psychologists in professional practice.

Income, an important facet of professional psychological practice, differs by gender. The potential sources of income differences among California clinical psychologists were investigated. Full-time female psychologists earned significantly less income on average than full-time male psychologists, despite similar patient demographics, caseloads, practice profiles, and payment sources. In separate regression models, professional experience increased income more for men than for women, whereas greater psychologist supply decreased income for both groups. According to the regression model, if female psychologists were paid like male psychologists, they would receive, on average, $16,440 more per year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distress and professional impairment among psychologists in clinical practice.

Distress and professional impairment among psychologists in clinical practice can adversely affect the process of psychotherapy. In this study, 522 practicing psychologists (52.2%) completed a mail survey on distress and impairment. Various life events and work factors were associated with different amounts of distress and impairment, with personal relationship problems and work with difficult clients being particularly troublesome. Respondents who experienced a greater number of life events/work factors also reported greater distress and impairment. Very high positive correlations emerged between distress and impairment for both life events and work factors. Non-work-related activities and periodic vacations were the most frequently reported preventive behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapists in independent practice: Some findings and issues.

Notes that although professional psychologists' involvement in private sector health care delivery has grown at an unparalleled rate in the past decade, little is known about professional psychologists' composition, practices, or their views. This article describes the professional characteristics, clinical activities, theoretical perspectives, and training and career satisfaction of 210 doctoral-level psychotherapists (mean age 47.2 yrs) employed full-time in independent practice. More than 30 personal and professional variables were used to compare these private practitioners with 72 psychotherapists employed in the public sector. Results indicate that independent practitioners were significantly more likely to be older and more experienced, work fewer hours, do more marital therapy, and be more satisfied with psychotherapy as a career than their colleagues in institutional clinical settings. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences between the 2 groups in theoretical orientations or percentage of women. Several issues surrounding private practice are explored, and the sociopolitical and training implications of increasing numbers of psychotherapists entering independent practice are discussed. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correctional psychologist burnout, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Corrections is a stressful environment, but do correctional psychologists experience greater levels of occupational burnout and life stress than other public sector and nonpublic sector psychologists? Data collected from 203 doctoral level psychologists including correctional (CR; n = 44), Veteran's Affairs (VA; n = 56), public psychiatric hospital (PPH; n = 54), and university counseling centers (CC; n = 49) indicated that CR psychologists do experience significantly more occupational burnout relative to VA and CC psychologists. Furthermore, CR and PPH psychologists reported significantly less job satisfaction than CC psychologists. Although psychologists working in PPH settings reported significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than VA and CC psychologists this was not the case for CR psychologists. Professional identity related to occupational setting emerged as a significant predictor of occupational burnout. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do we practice what we preach? An exploratory survey of multicultural psychotherapy competencies.

Practitioners are repeatedly encouraged to become multiculturally competent clinicians. But how frequently do professional psychologists intervene in multiculturally responsive ways, and how important do they think it is to do so? From the existing literature, the authors identified 52 recommended multicultural psychotherapy competencies and surveyed 149 professional psychologists regarding these practices and beliefs. Universal, infrequent, and not applicable practices were identified. Overall and for 86% of the individual items, participants did not practice what they preached. In addition, respondents reported that personal and professional experiences were most influential, and guidelines and codes least influential, in their development of multicultural competence. Five practice implications are offered, and suggestions for educators are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical beliefs about burnout and continued professional practice.

Investigated psychologists' ethical beliefs about continued professional practice in psychology when the practitioner is experiencing burnout or impairment. 94 psychologists completed a demographic questionnaire, an attitude survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Relationships among Ss' ethical beliefs, professional practices, and measured levels of burnout were examined, and these elements were found to correlate significantly. Results also suggest that psychologists perceive burnout to be a form of impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuing education in psychology: Outcomes, evaluations, and mandates.

How effective is continuing education (CE) for maintaining professional competencies, how should its effects be measured, and should it be mandated for licensure renewal? These and other questions were addressed in a review of the existing literature and a survey of 6,095 professional psychologists regarding their CE experiences, perceptions, and preferences. The substantial majority of respondents reported their CE experiences to be good to excellent. Overall, they reported learning a great deal that frequently translated into their practices and contributed to their more effective and ethical practice. Most also supported the idea of mandated CE, although they preferred the use of participant satisfaction ratings to knowledge or skills assessments as mechanisms for evaluating their learning. Significant differences were found between psychologists who were operating with CE mandates and those operating without mandates; mandated psychologists completed significantly more CE credits than nonmandated psychologists and were stronger supporters of CE mandates. Findings are discussed in relation to critical issues that confront the field of professional psychology and its continuing commitment to the development and documentation of professional competencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practice setting and type of caseload as factors in psychotherapist stress.

The influence of practice setting (institutional vs private) and type of caseload (primarily neurotic vs primarily psychotic or character disordered) on psychotherapists' reports of stress was studied in a questionnaire survey. Therapists with more disturbed patients reported more stress from maintaining the therapeutic relationship and more professional doubt and personal depletion. Therapists in private practice experienced less personal depletion but more stress from psychopathological symptoms. These findings suggest that practice setting and caseload may be factors in vulnerability to burnout. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapist experience and the stresses of psychotherapeutic work.

A questionnaire survey of 227 licensed psychologists (aged 27–76 yrs) identified 5 stress factors associated with the nature of psychotherapeutic work (maintaining the therapeutic relationship, scheduling, professional doubt, overinvolvement, and personal depletion) and 5 associated with patient behaviors (negative affect, resistance, psychopathological symptoms, suicidal threats, and passive-aggressive behaviors). Less stress was reported by older Ss and those with moderate caseloads. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postdoctoral Training in Psychotherapy.

During the past year, a number of articles have appeared in the American Psychologist on the general issue of whether psychologists should or should not do psychotherapy. While it is indisputable that a problem of this kind deserves attention as long as enough people are concerned to give it substance, we confess to a sense of bewilderment: Is not a long dead horse receiving a rather severe whipping? In settings ranging from hospitals and clinics to private practice, psychologists are doing psychotherapy, have been doing it for some time, and are likely to continue doing it as long as there is a social need for this kind of service. This fact has been clearly acknowledged by such national organizations as the VA and the USPHS and, through ABEPP and the Education and Training Board, by the APA itself. Much more central questions, it seems to us, are those of whether psychologists are being adequately trained for their therapeutic function and of what can be done to make training opportunities more available. First, we recommend that a comprehensive survey be made, through the Education and Training Board or other appropriate agency, of precisely what postdoctoral training resources are available in the nation for psychologists. Second, we urge that the APA investigate the possibility of establishing postdoctoral training programs in strategically located universities. Third, suspecting that one or another of the major foundations would be interested in this kind of venture into professional training at postdoctoral levels, we suggest that the APA take responsibility for investigating potential sources of financial support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work and Family Sources of Burnout in the Australian Engineering Profession: Comparison of Respondents in Dual- and Single-Earner Couples, Parents, and Nonparents

A survey of practicing professional civil engineers in the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria was conducted. The survey explored the engineers’ experience of work and family sources of burnout. Burnout was predicted by a combination of both work and family stressors. Regression analysis revealed that burnout was predicted by different variables among respondents in dual- compared to single-income households and among parents and nonparents. Family variables were more important sources of burnout among participants in dual-income households and parents. The writer concludes that preventive strategies for burnout in the engineering profession must extend beyond the work environment and deal with issues at the work-family interface. Also, sociodemographic characteristics of the workforce must be considered when devising preventive strategies.     

Hospital practice: Psychology's call to action.

The general public has recently made demands for continuity of care in psychological services from outpatient settings to inpatient facilities and back. These demands plus 3 economic and structural modifications within the nation's health-care arena, including the incursion of for-profit health-care corporations into the health delivery industry, the 1985 Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals decision to include nonphysician providers on hospital medical staffs, and the 1990 California Supreme Court Decision (CAPP v. Rank) ensuring full medical staff participation by California psychologists, have opened the doors to the independent practice of psychology in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and day treatment facilities. This article presents current professional realities for psychologists in hospitals and health-care settings and reviews the work of the American Psychological Association in support of hospital independent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychology and private health services: Developing trends in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Summarizes data on professional psychologists in the Federal Republic of Germany, including training, work settings, human resources, and legal aspects of professional practice. The impact of recent changes in the health care structure and the influence of health insurance regulations and legislation on professional psychologists are discussed as determinants for the future development of psychology. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)