BACKGROUND: This study examines whether the adoption of a more community based model in an inner city psychiatry service is accompanied by increasing "burnout", deteriorating mental health and decreasing job satisfaction amongst staff. METHOD: Questionnaires were sent annually for 3 consecutive years to all mental health staff working in three adult mental health sectors in inner London. Main outcome measures were the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, Maslach Burn-out Inventory and a general job satisfaction measure. RESULTS: There was no significant change over time in the outcome measures, once confounding by job and demographic variables was examined. Being based in the community was associated with higher GHQ-12 scores (P = 0.02) when compared to in-patient staff over the 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that working in the community may be more stressful than working in in-patient services. However, there was no evidence to suggest that levels of stress are increasing over time, either in community-based or hospital-based staff.
BACKGROUND: This study examines whether the adoption of a more community based model in an inner city psychiatry service is accompanied by increasing "burnout", deteriorating mental health and decreasing job satisfaction amongst staff. METHOD: Questionnaires were sent annually for 3 consecutive years to all mental health staff working in three adult mental health sectors in inner London. Main outcome measures were the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, Maslach Burn-out Inventory and a general job satisfaction measure. RESULTS: There was no significant change over time in the outcome measures, once confounding by job and demographic variables was examined. Being based in the community was associated with higher GHQ-12 scores (P = 0.02) when compared to in-patient staff over the 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that working in the community may be more stressful than working in in-patient services. However, there was no evidence to suggest that levels of stress are increasing over time, either in community-based or hospital-based staff.
Authors: Stefan Priebe; Walid K H Fakhoury; Karin Hoffmann; Richard A Powell Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2005-03 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: David A Richards; Penny Bee; Michael Barkham; Simon M Gilbody; Jane Cahill; Julie Glanville Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2006-01-01 Impact factor: 4.328