Demographic Predictors Of Burnout Among Hiv/Aids Counsellors

Abstract

Counsellors have been identified as an at-risk group for burnout, especially when the setting is HIV/AIDS counselling center. Considering the nature of the illness, the multifaceted needs of the client, the relative paucity of available counsellors/counselling centers and various psychosocial issues connected with HIV/AIDS, the potential for burnout is particularly high among HIV/AIDS counsellors. Despite these problems, little or nothing is being done by way of rigorous research and ameliorative activities on this important issue. This study represented an attempt at empirically investigating the experience of emotional exhaustion among HIV/AIDS counsellors in Lagos State, Nigeria. Two hundred conveniently selected counsellors participated in this cross-sectional survey. Participants were 170 females and 70 males with an average age of 34.19 years and a standard deviation of 6.82. Results indicated that respondents were very high on emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation but very low on personal accomplishment. Additionally, age, education and work experience significantly predicted emotional exhaustion{R=.50; F=26.01; P<.01}, depersonalisation{R=.50; F=20.48; P<.01} and personal accomplishment {R=.50; F=20.64; P<.01}. Furthermore, results indicated that there was a significant influence of marital status on emotional exhaustion, {F(4,235)=7.83; P<.01 }, depersonalization{F(4,235)=4.85 P<.05} and personal accomplishment {F(4,235)=5.88; P <.05}, with single (yet to marry) counsellors scoring significantly higher (mean=35.23) than married (mean=27.92) respondents on the three dimensions of burnout. These findings were exhaustively discussed and recommendations were made, especially on the need for psychologists, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to all begin to take burnout seriously, addressing it actively rather than just accepting it as ubiquitous but impervious to intervention. This could improve both the lives of the concerned professionals and the quality of the services they provide.


Keywords: Demographic factors, Burnout Syndrome, Counselling, HIV/AIDS

JORIND Vol. 5 (2) 2007: pp. 21-21