NCJ Number
208213
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 452-471
Date Published
December 2004
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This exploratory study examined whether there were links between the upper-level administrative support for staff and the burnout of 83 mental-health and substance-abuse-treatment staff working in a State prison system in the Midwest.
Abstract
A discussion of staff "burnout" and its consequences notes the difference between experiencing stress and experiencing burnout. Morris' (1986) definition of burnout is noted, i.e., that "burnout occurs when stress has been so intense for such a long period that it is difficult for an employee to perform even the most basic requirements of his/her job." In the summer of 2000, researchers for the current study mailed questionnaires to mental-health and substance-abuse-treatment staff who were working in 14 adult male prisons in a Midwestern State. Usable questionnaires were received from 83 staff members (52 percent of the 160 mailed). Burnout, the dependent variable, was measured by questions taken from Gerstein and associates' (1987) Total Exhaustion Index. The main independent variable was administrative support, which was narrowed to a single administrator, the deputy warden of special services. Relevant questionnaire items focused on particular indicators of support, such as resource support, receptiveness to the job input of staff, extension of autonomy, acknowledgement of staff, role clarification, endorsement of treatment, and feedback. The findings showed that burnout was low among those surveyed; whereas, their opinions about the supportiveness of the deputy warden of special services varied significantly. The best predictors of burnout were perception of danger, administrative support, and inmate contact, in descending order of strength. Weaker perceptions of support from the deputy warden were linked to higher exhaustion scores. Suggestions are offered for policies that will reduce the strength of these factors in contributing to treatment staff burnout. 3 tables and 56 references