Work-related stress and occupational burnout in AIDS caregivers: Test of a coping model with nurses providing AIDS care

Abstract

Occupational stress and burnout are potential threats to quality of care for people living with HIV/AIDS. A total of 445 nurses who provide care to people living with HIV/AIDS responded to an anonymous postal survey that consisted of: demographic and work history questions, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and internal and external coping styles as measured by the Ways of Coping scale. Path analyses showed that both external (13.6% of the variance) and internal (3.1% of the variance) coping styles significantly predicted levels of burnout among AIDS caregivers, over and above participants' age, perceived workload and locus of control. Mediation analyses further showed that external coping mediates the effect of locus of control on burnout, but internal coping styles do not exhibit mediation. Results therefore replicate and extend previous research demonstrating the important roles of cognitive and behavioural coping styles in understanding burnout among providers of AIDS care.