Linda Webster and Rachelle Kisst Hackett.pdfVIP

Administration and Policy in Mental Health Vol. 26, No. 6, July 1999 BURNOUT AND LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS Linda Webster and Rachelle Kisst Hackett ABSTRACT: This study investigated whether aspects of burnout in clinical staff in commu- nity mental health agencies were systematically related to aspects of leadership behavior and quality of supervision of clinical supervisors. Burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory, leadership behavior was measured by the Leadership Practices Inven- tory, and clinical supervision by a scale constructed by the authors. Significant, though moderate relationships were found between the measures, and the implications for an orga- nizational model of burnout, as well as prevention of burnout in mental health profes- sionals are discussed. Research shows that mental health professionals in community mental health systems often pay a heavy psychological price for the intense emo- tional interactions the job demands, frequently resulting in what is known as burnout (Cherniss, 1995; Leiter Maslach, 1997). Burnout has been defined in the literature as a syndrome of physical and emotional exhaus- tion, involving the development of a negative self-concept, negative job attitudes, and the loss of concern and feelings for clients (Maslach Jack- son, 1986). Three aspects of burnout have been identified: feelings of be- ing emotionally exhausted and overextended by the work; feelings of de- personalization which result in negative, cynical attitudes toward ones clients; and diminished personal accomplishment which reflects a sense of lowered competence and a lack of successful achievement in work with clients. Burnout has been reliably and validly measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach Jackson, 1986; Maslach, Jackson, Lei- ter,1996) which has three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonaliza- Linda Webster, Ph.D., and Rachelle Kisst Hackett, Ph.D., are with the Benerd School of Education, Univers