Factors contributing to levels of burnout among sex offender treatment providers

This study used the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to examine burnout amon g 86 licensed mental health providers who treat sex offenders. Participants were 53.5% male, 43% worked in inpatient/prison settings, and 55.8% worked in group therapy settings. Compared to MBI subscale norms for mental healt h workers, sex offender treatment providers reported higher levels of emoti onal exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), and personal accomplishment ( PA). Relative to nouns for social services workers, sex offender treatment providers reported higher levels of PA but similar levels of EE and DP. The re were no significant differences in burnout levels by gender, number of y ears working with sex offenders, and percentage of clientele who were sex o ffenders. Relative to providers in outpatient facilities, those in inpatien t/prison facilities reported higher levels of DP, PA, and EE. These finding s suggest inpatient/prison providers experience greater levels of burnout r elative to outpatient providers.