Voices from the Field: Addressing Job Burnout in School Psychology Training Programs.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Occupational Health
• Education

Background:

• Job burnout is a significant concern for school psychologists, exacerbated by workforce shortages.
• Proactive strategies are essential for preventing and managing burnout to maintain a healthy professional workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perspectives of practicing school psychologists on how training programs can address job burnout.
• To identify actionable recommendations for enhancing training curricula and support systems.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative thematic analysis of written responses from 122 school psychologists in the Southeastern US.
• The study focused on the question: "What do you think training programs can do about the issue of burnout in school psychology?"

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged: developing personal/professional skills, modifying professional/training components, and altering administrative/organizational policies.
• Seven associated sub-themes further detailed these areas, providing specific insights into perceived needs.

Conclusions:

• Training programs should integrate strategies for personal/professional skill development to combat burnout.
• Modifications to training content and administrative/organizational policies are crucial for supporting school psychologists and mitigating burnout.