Organizational Predictors of Burnout for Sexual Minorities and Heterosexual Behavioral Health Workers

Date of Conferral

10-30-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Silvia Bigatti

Abstract

Within behavioral health organizations, sexual minorities experience burnout at disparate rates compared to heterosexuals. However, to date, no study had examined how organizational factors differentially affect the progression of burnout for sexual minorities when compared to heterosexual behavioral health workers. The study expanded on the multidimensional theory of burnout, minority stress theory, and the Herzberg two-factor theory to examine to what extent there are differences in regression models of sexual minorities and heterosexual behavioral health workers when predicting burnout from the organizational factors of compensation, feeling of belonging, autonomy, low-stress work environment, and mission-driven work. Archival data from a Workforce Survey conducted in Montana provided ratings for organizational factors, levels of burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and sexual identity demographic information. The data were analyzed using moderated multiple regression to determine the extent that organizational factors differentially predict burnout for sexual minorities and heterosexual behavioral health workers. There were no statistically significant interactions between sexual identity and compensation, work environment, feeling of belonging, autonomy, or mission driven work when predicting burnout. A final regression model was developed without including sexual identity, and findings indicated that autonomy, work environment, feeling of belonging, and mission driven work are statistically significant predictors of burnout. Findings from the study may lead to positive social change by informing organizational interventions that work to reduce burnout for behavioral health workers regardless of sexual identity.

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