The impact of skills training on the burnout and distress of employment service case managers

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of formal skills training on levels of burnout and psychological distress in a representative sample of Australian case managers who work with long-term unemployed people. Eighty-six case managers responded to a mail survey that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI: Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996), the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12: Goldberg, 1978), and the short form of the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R/s: Eysenck & Eysenck, 1991). Case managers were also asked a series of demographic questions including details of skills training undertaken. Two thirds of respondents indicated they had not undertaken any formal program of skills training relevant to their current duties. A between-subjects MANOVA indicated that those case managers who had received formal skills training reported significantly lower levels of burnout on all MBI subscales, and reported significantly lower levels of distress on the GHQ-12 than those who had not received formal skills training. When the influence of the personality variable Neuroticism, was partialled out, much of the hypothesised effect of formal skills training disappeared, indicating the importance of personality when investigating forms of burnout and psychological distress.