Association between reasons for employment and burnout tendencies among rehabilitation technology professionals

[Purpose] The deterioration in the psychological states of healthcare workers may impact the quality and quantity of medical care provided to patients, leading to unfavorable treatment outcomes. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between reasons for employment and the mental health status of rehabilitation technology professionals in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire to gather relevant data. [Participants and Methods] Data from 112 rehabilitation technology professionals, including physical and occupational therapists as well as speech-language pathologists, were analyzed. Questionnaires were utilized to collect data on participant characteristics, reasons for employment, virtual competence, self-esteem, burnout levels, self-compassion responses, subjective health assessments, and feelings of isolation. [Results] Multiple regression analysis indicated that the regression coefficients of the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, the World Health Organization-five well-being index, the virtual ability scale, the self-esteem scale, and the reasons for employment scale scores were -0.168, -0.191, -0.273, -0.197, and -0.329, respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling was used to verify the goodness-of-fit indices. The burnout scale scores exhibited a satisfactory fit with the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, the World Health Organization-five well-being index, the virtual ability scale, the self-esteem scale, and the reasons for employment, as indicated by all goodness-of-fit indices. [Conclusion] This study revealed a significant association between the reason for employment and burnout tendency, which was found to be the strongest. Therefore, it is important to know the reason for employment to ascertain burnout tendencies. Conversely, as associations were also found for several adjustment variables, it is necessary to consider not only the reasons for employment but also other factors when assessing burnout tendencies.