Client, counselor, and work setting differences in eating disorder counselor's burnout and career sustaining behaviors

The purpose of this study is to determine if burnout occurs among counselors who work with eating disordered patients. This study examined client, counselor, and work related variables to determine if these factors influence burnout and career sustaining behaviors. This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) Do eating disorder therapists suffer from burnout?, (2) Is there a relationship between burnout levels and the use of career sustaining behaviors? Which career sustaining behaviors be used to predict burnout?, (3) Is there a relationship between burnout levels and use of career sustaining behaviors due to client characteristics? Which client characteristics predict burnout levels and the use of career sustaining behaviors?, (4) Is there a relationship between burnout levels and the use of career sustaining behaviors due to work setting differences? Which work setting characteristics can be used to predict burnout and the use of career sustaining behaviors?, and (5) Is there a relationship between burnout levels and use of career sustaining behaviors due to counselor characteristics? What counselor characteristics can be used to predict burnout and career sustaining behaviors?;Sixty four usable surveys were received for a return rate of 18.29%. Each subject completed a background questionnaire, the Psychologist Burnout Inventory (PBI), the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), and the Career Sustaining Behaviors Questionnaire (CSB-Q). All data was entered in SPSS 11.0 student version for analysis.;Mean scores for the three subscales of the MBI-HSS and the CSB-Q were entered into Pearson bivariate correlations with client, counselor and work setting variables. Any variables with a significant correlational relationship to the three subscales scores or CSB-Q score were then entered into multiple regression analysis to determine which variables were significant predictors. A correlational relationship was noted between some variables with burnout and career sustaining behaviors. Few were able to predict burnout or career sustaining behaviors. Future research should expand upon the variables used in this study.