Organization-Level Factors Associated With Burnout: Guided Discussions With Micropolitan Public Health Workers During
Helaina G Thompson1, Natoshia M Askelson, Rebecca Bucklin
1From the Department of Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa (H.G.T., N.M.A., R.B., C.B., S.Y., E.S.); University of Iowa Public Policy Center, Iowa City, Iowa (N.M.A., E.S.); Prevention Research Center for Rural Health at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa (N.G.); and Iowa Immunizes, Des Moines, Iowa (E.F.).
Objective:
To understand how micropolitan public health workers (PHWs) experienced burnout antecedents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
We conducted in-depth guided discussions with 34 representatives from 16 micropolitan public health departments using semistructured, open-ended questions about departments' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We coded discussion transcripts to develop themes according to the Six Areas of Worklife model.
Results:
PHWs described antecedents of burnout that stemmed from organizational and external forces, most notably within the workload, control, reward, and values dimensions of the Six Areas of Worklife model, as well as instances of workplace violence.
Conclusions:
Our findings support organization-level approaches to reducing and preventing burnout in the micropolitan public health workforce. We discuss addressing specific dimensions of the Six Areas of Worklife model when designing burnout solutions for this essential workforce.
More Related Videos
05:33Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
Published on: June 19, 2019
10:45A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Levels of Communication II: Organizational, Public, and Group Dynamics
Types of Stressors
Catastrophes
Catastrophes refer to large-scale, unpredictable events that create overwhelming stress and a sense of threat. Examples include natural disasters like...
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
