STAFF BURNOUT IN A PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITAL - A CROSS-LAGGED PANEL DESIGN

Previous research has shown that burnout in staff members at psychiatr ic hospitals is significantly associated with state anxiety and colleg ial support. The directionality of these relationships may be inferred using a cross-lagged panel design. To do this, 35 staff members repre senting various clinical disciplines completed measures of burnout, su pport, and anxiety twice, eight months apart. Burnout comprised three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accompl ishment. Findings from one cross-lagged panel suggested that emotional exhaustion causes state anxiety. The second panel showed that lack of collegial support caused depersonalization. Understanding causes and effects of burnout for inpatient psychiatric staff may lead to trainin g and resource development that will improve the quality of their work environment.