Feel the Burn, Heal the Burn: Job Crafting and Burnout Among Occupational Therapy Professionals

Details

• Personal Author:
  del Pozo E ; Fisher G ; Lizerbram R ; Lynner B ; Stoa R
• Description:
  Importance: Burnout is common among occupational therapy professionals and associated with poor health and well-being, absenteeism, turnover, and exit from the profession. This study identified specific job titles, job characteristics, and resources related to burnout. Objective: To identify specific aspects of occupational therapy jobs related to burnout and to investigate job crafting as one approach for reducing burnout. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Participants: Four hundred occupational therapy professionals from 45 states across the United States. Outcomes and Measures: This study investigated the relative importance of job demands (e.g., workload, emotional labor, role ambiguity), job resources (e.g., professional identity, autonomy, perceived support), and burnout and examined job crafting as a strategy for reducing burnout. Results: Burnout varied across occupational therapy positions and practice areas and was most strongly associated with excessive workload. Occupational therapy professionals who engaged in job crafting reported less burnout. Several positive job resources, including meaningful work, job involvement, and perceived organizational support, were also associated with job crafting. Conclusions and Relevance: This study identified specific occupational therapy roles, settings, and job characteristics related to burnout and job crafting behaviors that may help reduce burnout. Plain-Language Summary: Burnout is common among occupational therapy professionals and is associated with poor health and well-being, absenteeism, turnover, and people leaving the profession. This study identifies occupational therapy positions, practice areas, and work conditions at most risk for burnout and highlights job resources that can prevent and mitigate burnout. The study found that burnout varied across occupational therapy positions and practice areas and was most strongly associated with excessive workload. Recommendations to address burnout include engaging in job crafting, optimizing job demands and resources, and fostering meaningful work to reduce burnout. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Health Personnel Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Burnout Cross Sectional Studies Health Care Workers Job Design Mental Health Occupational Psychology Well-being Work Arrangements
• ISSN:
  0272-9490
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Denver Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  79
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070632
• Citation:
  Am J Occup Ther 2025 Jan; 79(1):7901205080
• Email:
  brittany.lynner@colostate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  University of Colorado, Denver
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Occupational Therapy
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ca504ec004ebc3101aaf9f69163da119ab0c05ebb303449d8128407310a6e9c8268a3226bf4f9286d50c5970ebd5ddb32bfa396cce3c7adef78a83328a5f4fb7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208811/cdc_208811_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 660.87 KB ]