The impact of multiple roles on rural therapists' occupational stress and coping

Unmanaged occupational stress is a leading factor in job burnout within the healthcare industry. Helping professionals most at risk for occupational stress which eventually results in job burnout are those individuals who experience high workplace demands with little or no social support from their occupational or personal environments. There is a gap in existing research, as no study has examined the unique characteristics that rural therapists face and their experience of occupational stress and coping within their small communities relative to the number of multiple role relationships that develop. The transactional model provided the theory for examining the process between stress and the resulting coping behaviors. This quantitative study examined how multiple roles impact occupational stress and coping strategies in rural therapists. A mailed survey containing a demographic questionnaire and the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised was sent to a convenience sample of licensed clinical therapists in a western U.S. state. Data analysis utilized regression analysis to determine if a relationship existed between multiple roles, occupational stress, and coping behaviors. The results of this study indicate that no relationship existed between the number of multiple roles and occupational stress. A predictive relationship between the number of multiple roles and coping was not found. This study offered insight into the experience of psychotherapists practicing in rural communities including their experiences of personal and professional isolation, ability to specialize in the field, and lack of opportunities spouses. The study promoted positive social change by increasing awareness of occupational role stresses and common coping strategies used effectively to manage the many challenges of practicing within rural communities.