Justin Newton Scanlan1,2, Megan Still3, Jae Radican4,5, Daya Henkel6,7, Tim Heffernan8, Peter Farrugia9, Jemima Isbester3, Jessica English10,11. 1. Present Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Office J120, Cumberland Campus, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, Sydney, NSW, 2141, Australia. justin.scanlan@sydney.edu.au. 2. Present Affiliation: Mental Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, Concord, NSW, Australia. justin.scanlan@sydney.edu.au. 3. Present Affiliation: Mental Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, Concord, NSW, Australia. 4. Present Affiliation: Official Visitors Program, Gladesville, NSW, Australia. 5. Previous affiliation (at the time of the study): NSW Ministry of Health, Mental Health Branch, North Sydney, NSW, Australia. 6. Present Affiliation: NSW Ministry of Health, Mental Health Branch, Chatswood, NSW, Australia. 7. Previous affiliation (at the time of the study): Hunter New England Local Health District, Mental Health Services, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. 8. Present Affiliation: COORDINARE - South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. 9. Present Affiliation: Flourish Australia, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia. 10. Present Affiliation: ReachOut Australia, Sydney, Australia. 11. Previous affiliation (at the time of the study): Being: Mental Health and Wellbeing Consumer Advisory Group, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Consumer peer workers are individuals with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery who are employed to use their lived experience to support others. The consumer peer workforce has expanded substantially in recent years. While some research has explored the workplace experiences of peer workers, no previous studies have explored job satisfaction, burnout or turnover intention for this workforce. METHODS: Consumer peer workers in New South Wales, Australia were invited to complete a survey designed to explore their workplace experiences. The survey included measures of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources, and satisfaction with supervision, professional development and opportunities for career progression. Questions also explored positive and negative aspects of positions. Analyses included exploration of the relationships between of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources as well as tabulation of common positive and negative aspects of positions. Results were also compared with findings from a previous study exploring workplace experiences of other mental health workers. RESULTS: A total of 67 peer workers participated in the study. Overall job satisfaction, burnout (disengagement and exhaustion) and turnover intention for peer workers was not significantly different to other mental health workers. Job satisfaction, disengagement, exhaustion and turnover intention were all significantly inter-related. Job resources of social support, job control, feedback, and rewards and recognition were associated with positive workplace experiences and the job demand of "physical environment" was most substantially associated with poorer workplace experiences. The most common positive aspect of positions was "connecting with consumers" and the most common negative aspect of positions was "attitudes of clinicians / workplace culture". Access to supervision from a senior peer worker was associated with more positive workplace experiences. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that while consumer peer workers do not appear to experience poorer job satisfaction or higher levels of burnout or turnover intention than other mental health workers, a range of challenges do exist. Efforts to further expand the peer workforce (especially senior peer worker roles) and to promote more positive attitudes and workplace cultures are likely to promote better workplace experiences for peer workers.
BACKGROUND: Consumer peer workers are individuals with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery who are employed to use their lived experience to support others. The consumer peer workforce has expanded substantially in recent years. While some research has explored the workplace experiences of peer workers, no previous studies have explored job satisfaction, burnout or turnover intention for this workforce. METHODS: Consumer peer workers in New South Wales, Australia were invited to complete a survey designed to explore their workplace experiences. The survey included measures of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources, and satisfaction with supervision, professional development and opportunities for career progression. Questions also explored positive and negative aspects of positions. Analyses included exploration of the relationships between of job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intention, job demands and job resources as well as tabulation of common positive and negative aspects of positions. Results were also compared with findings from a previous study exploring workplace experiences of other mental health workers. RESULTS: A total of 67 peer workers participated in the study. Overall job satisfaction, burnout (disengagement and exhaustion) and turnover intention for peer workers was not significantly different to other mental health workers. Job satisfaction, disengagement, exhaustion and turnover intention were all significantly inter-related. Job resources of social support, job control, feedback, and rewards and recognition were associated with positive workplace experiences and the job demand of "physical environment" was most substantially associated with poorer workplace experiences. The most common positive aspect of positions was "connecting with consumers" and the most common negative aspect of positions was "attitudes of clinicians / workplace culture". Access to supervision from a senior peer worker was associated with more positive workplace experiences. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that while consumer peer workers do not appear to experience poorer job satisfaction or higher levels of burnout or turnover intention than other mental health workers, a range of challenges do exist. Efforts to further expand the peer workforce (especially senior peer worker roles) and to promote more positive attitudes and workplace cultures are likely to promote better workplace experiences for peer workers.
Authors: Steve Gillard; Rhiannon Foster; Sarah White; Sally Barlow; Rahul Bhattacharya; Paul Binfield; Rachel Eborall; Alison Faulkner; Sarah Gibson; Lucy P Goldsmith; Alan Simpson; Mike Lucock; Jacqui Marks; Rosaleen Morshead; Shalini Patel; Stefan Priebe; Julie Repper; Miles Rinaldi; Michael Ussher; Jessica Worner Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2022-06-01 Impact factor: 4.144