Association of Resilience with Psychological Distress, Burnout, and Depression Among Direct Support Professionals: A...

COVID-19 pandemic-related changes have increased mental health problems of essential workers. However, little is known about its impact on direct support professionals (DSPs) working at facilities for people with disabilities. This study examined the resilience and related factors, including psychological distress, burnout, depression, among DSPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those in facility with cluster occurrences in Japan.

We conducted an online survey from May 18 to June 9, 2021, targeting staff at Social Welfare Corporation Shirane Gakuen, a cluster facility. An additional survey was conducted on May 24, 2021, through Yahoo! Crowd Sourcing, targeting individuals who worked at disability support facilities categorized as non-cluster facilities. We obtained 108 and 95 responses, respectively, including 76 and 16 DSPs. The following instruments were used: Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Bidimensional Resilience Scale, Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine associations between resilience and related factors.

The prevalence of severe psychological distress, burnout, and depression among DSPs within the COVID-19 cluster facility was 11.8%, 69.7%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the non-cluster facilities, the prevalence was 37.5%, 68.8%, and 62.5%, respectively. A positive association between acquired resilience factors and burnout was observed (coefficient = 2.35, 95% CI 0.38 to 4.31). However, no significant association was observed between acquired resilience factors and the interaction term of COVID-19 cluster occurrences at the workplace and burnout (coefficient = -2.03, 95% CI -6.97 to 2.90).

This study demonstrated that the acquired resilience factors of Japanese DSPs was linked with increased burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the COVID-19 cluster occurrences. As burnout intensifies, DSPs may cultivate acquired resilience, and programs enhancing these factors may help alleviate their burnout and promote well-being.