Do the Coping Strategies used by Physical Therapists working in Acute Care Influence their Experience of Burnout Syndrome?

This study examined the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among acute care physical therapist, the coping strategies used to manage a stressful event, and the ability of coping strategy to predict Burnout Syndrome. An anonymous electronic survey including the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire was deployed to acute care PTs. Structural equation modeling was used to examine whether coping strategies may help predict Burnout Syndrome. Many PTs in this study had Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and low levels of Personal Accomplishment, all dimensions of burnout, but only 10% had Burnout Syndrome. The coping strategies used most often were Planful Problem Solving, Self-Controlling, and Seeking Social Support. By contrast, Positive Reappraisal, Accepting Responsibility, and Escape-Avoidance were used least often. AR was a positive indicator of both EE, and DP. Both AR and EA were positive indicators of Burnout Syndrome. The results of this study suggest that PTs demonstrate Emotional Exhaustion, but do not show high levels of Burnout Syndrome. Accepting Responsibility and Escape-Avoidance contributed to Burnout Syndrome by increasing levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization. PTs in this study used Accepting Responsibility and Escape-Avoidance least often. It is possible that the PTs were proteted from Burnout Syndrome by their choice of coping strategies.