Burnout and Ethical Awareness in Mental Health Professionals: A Correlational Study

The aim of this study was to measure levels of ethical awareness and burnout among mental health professionals, while also investigating the relationship between age, ethical awareness, and burnout. Additionally, the study aimed to compare the exhaustion level between mental health professionals working in public and private sectors.

A correlational study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. Data was collected using the Santa Clara Ethics Scale and the Counselor's Burnout Inventory from 319 mental health professionals with at least two years of experience. The analysis of the collected data was carried out using SPSS version 23.

The mean±standard deviation levels of ethical awareness and burnout were found to be 31.4±4.46 and 48.4±13.91, respectively. Ethical awareness was positively correlated with age and negatively correlated with dimensions of burnout (exhaustion, incompetence, negative work environment, devaluing clients, and personal life deterioration) and overall burnout. There were significant positive correlations among these burnout factors. Furthermore, mental health professionals in the public sector exhibited significantly higher levels of exhaustion than those working in private sector.

This study underscores the significant association between age, ethical awareness, and burnout in mental health professionals and urges tailored interventions that enhance the ability to make ethical decisions while minimizing the risk of burnout, especially among early-career mental health professionals and professionals working in the public sector.