| High levels of job stress and turnover for rehabilitation and counseling professionals (RCPs) have been increasingly important issues in the rehabilitation profession. This correlational study investigated the relationship between job stress and burnout levels and determined the predictors of job satisfaction. The study was intended to increase the understanding of pertinent factors affecting job stress, burnout, and job satisfaction among RCPs. The American Counseling Association (ACA) supplied a mailing list of 350 members employed in rehabilitation programs or agencies. They were sent the Job Stress Survey, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Job Satisfaction Survey, and a questionnaire on demographics and job characteristics. Responses were received from 128, including a wide range of demographics, employment settings, etc. The sample reported more job stress but generally higher levels of job satisfaction than comparable group norms. On the MBI's Emotional Exhaustion (EE) subscale, the sample was higher than the MBI norms from social workers and much higher than mental health workers. However, the RCPs were lower on Depersonalization and higher on Personal Accomplishment than the other groups. It was hypothesized that job stress and burnout would be positively related; this was true for the EE component of burnout (r = .60, p < .001 with the overall Job Stress Index). It was also predicted that burnout would be a stronger (inverse) predictor of job satisfaction than stress and the strongest predictor overall. Both were strongly supported in terms of EE burnout. Finally, it had been hypothesized that the strongest demographic or job predictors of job satisfaction would be hours worked per week and professional tenure, but this was not supported. Only two of these variables were significantly related to job satisfaction: salary range (r = .28, p < .01) and caseload size (r = .25, p < .05). Results were discussed in terms of the importance of emotional exhaustion to job stress and satisfaction among RCPs. |
