Evaluating the Relationship between Compassion, Perceived Supervisor Support, and Burnout among ABA Staff

Area of Science:

• Behavior analysis
• Organizational psychology
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• Recent calls emphasize compassion in behavior analyst training and practice.
• Existing research links practitioner empathy to patient outcomes.
• Supervisory relationships are crucial for applied behavior analysis (ABA) professional well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between burnout, compassion, and supervisor support among ABA providers.
• To examine the mediating role of perceived supervisor support in the compassion-burnout relationship.
• To inform training and organizational practices for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).

Main Methods:

• Survey of 1,335 ABA providers measuring burnout, BCBA compassion, and perceived supervisor support.
• One-way ANOVA to identify differences in burnout across job positions.
• Multiple regression and mediation analyses to explore relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in burnout were found between job positions.
• Perceived supervisor support was found to mediate the relationship between supervisor compassion and staff burnout.
• Compassionate supervision practices are linked to reduced burnout.

Conclusions:

• Supervisor support is a critical factor in mitigating burnout among ABA professionals.
• Training BCBAs in compassionate supervision is essential.
• Organizations should prioritize fostering supportive and compassionate supervisory relationships to enhance staff well-being.