“BURNOUT” AND SUBSTANCE USER TREATMENT: THE PHENOMENON AND THE ADMINISTRATOR-CLINICIAN'S EXPERIENCE

Abstract

“Burnout” began to be identified in the mid-1970s in the substance user treatment field with the meaning being that one's “fuel” to continue such work was essentially exhausted. “Burnout” is mostly manifest by emotional exhaustion and sometimes by various physical and psychiatric symptoms. In substance user treatment staff there is more “burnout” with more work pressure, unclear work policies, and decreased coping ability, with some “burnout” protection from peer and supervisor support. “Burnout” adversely effects substance user treatment and other human service interventions, with increased absenteeism and job turnover, and it appears to be helped with a variety of methods, including diversity of supports and interests. A case study of the author's substance user treatment and administrative work from the perspective of “burnout” considerations is included. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]

• “Burnout”
• Substance misuse staff
• Maslach Burnout Inventory
• Work Environment Scale
• Morale

Notes

¹Although the subject will not be further addressed here, undoubtedly workers in non-human helping areas can be subject to “burnout.” Especially noted are animal conservationists and humane society workers. A striking example of this type of work is the risk with poachers and rebels in work with gorillas [19].

²Conversely, five of the more popular internet search engines had hits, pages or documents in the hundreds for employee “burnout” and in the thousands for employee morale. None of this material was examined for this paper.

³These calls were to clinical affairs manager Ms. Candace Baker of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, 1-21-00; to executive director Ms. Jeanne Trumble of the American Academy of Addition Psychiatry, 9-23-98; and to Dr. Jim Calahan of the American Society of Addition Medicine, 9-22-98.

⁴Unfortunately Jung added: “And it is usually deplorably enough”!