Burnout in Australian occupational therapists: A systematic review

Recent data from the 2024 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) Occupational Therapy workforce survey indicated that the primary reason occupational therapists were considering leaving the profession was mental burnout. The second most commonly reported reason was a lack of professional satisfaction and feeling as though work was no longer fulfilling (Ahpra, 2024). The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise prevalence and incidence data of burnout among occupational therapists practising in Australia.

This systematic review was registered via PROSPERO and conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual for evidence synthesis. Six databases (CINAHL, Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsychINFO, and ERIC) were systematically searched from 1970 to present. Quality appraisal of the included studies was completed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool.

As this was a systematic review of previously published literature, no consumer or community involvement was required.

Only seven studies using two burnout measures, published between 1983 and 2025, met the inclusion criteria. Moderate burnout was reported in mean results across burnout measure subsets. The highest scoring sub-category was exhaustion. Factors contributing to burnout were numerous, with the most common being high work and client loads, younger age, and working in roles not specific to occupational therapy.

Moderate levels of burnout have been identified in Australian occupational therapists over the last five decades. Further research, such as longitudinal and larger scale studies, is required to gain a deeper understanding of burnout to assist in the development of protective strategies to prevent burnout and increase the career span of occupational therapists practising in Australia.