Job satisfaction and burnout among members of community mental health teams

Abstract

Emotional exhaustion, low personal accomplishment, depersonalisation, job satisfaction and sick leave among 445 team members in 57 community mental health teams (CMHTs) was examined in relation to the perceived clarity of the role of the team, personal role clarity, identification with one's profession and the team, and caseload size, composition and the frequency with which users were seen. High emotional exhaustion was reported, particularly among consultant psychiatrists, social workers, nurses and psychologists. High job satisfaction, high personal accomplishment and low depersonalisation were also found. Job satisfaction was associated with team role clarity and identification with the team. Caseload size, composition and the frequency with which service users were seen were not associated with job satisfaction or burnout. Significant differences were found between disciplines on all variables except sick leave. Implications for the design and operation of teams are explored.