Abstract
ObjectiveTo identify long-term profiles of Detached Concern (DC), based on its core dimensions detachment (D) and empathic concern (C), and to determine their association with burnout among human service professionals.MethodSelf-reported data from healthcare, teaching and social professionals (N = 108) were collected in 3-waves over an 8-month period. Latent profile analysis and analysis of covariance for repeated measures were applied.ResultsFive relatively stable longitudinal DC profiles emerged: (1) ‘detached’ (high D—low C; 33%); (2) ‘empathic’ (high C—moderate D; 31%); (3) ‘balanced’ (high D—high C; 21%); (4) ‘boundless’ (high C—low D, curvilinear trend; 8%); (5) ‘moderately uninvolved’ (low C—moderate D, increasing; 7%). Findings revealed profile differences based on gender (p < 0.05; χ2(4) = 9.73) and work experience (F [4, 103] = 3.26, p < .05). Differences could also be found for emotional exhaustion (F [4, 101] = 6.34, p < .001). The lowest emotional exhaustion over time occurred among balanced professionals. A stable or increasing risk of exhaustion over time was found in particular among profiles with moderate-to-low levels of detachment.ConclusionA balanced DC protects professionals’ mental health because it is associated with the lowest levels of emotional exhaustion over time among the distinct DC profiles. Findings provide evidence-based information for education and health-promoting interventions and contribute to self-awareness of the strengths and risks of DC and burnout for human service organisations and professionals.
Highlights
Research has focused on the issue of burnout for several decades, in an attempt to address the growing mental health challenges arising in the workplace
While client interactions can be a source of emotional strain, they are the intrinsic motivation for and fulfilment gained from working with people
Taking the empathic type found in cross-sectional studies as an example: can we identify professionals applying high empathic concern and hardly any detachment over a longer period of time, in a similar and rather stable way? The identification of stable Detached Concern (DC) profiles over time could contribute to an improved understanding of the research of employees’ emotional boundary management ([42] p. 1511) as a “broader approach to work, part of a nurse‘s professional persona”
Summary
Burnout was first described as a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors in jobs with intensive client contact, in particular for human professionals [1,9]. This focus on the provider-recipient relationships, especially the long-term emotionally involving client interaction process, was suggested as one main source of burnout in early work [1]. It is necessary for professionals to manage their emotions at work in order to handle emotional strain with clients and maintain mental health [10] It is especially critical for emotionally demanding and relationship intensive professions like human services, such as helping, social and teaching professions, which carry a high risk of mental health problems [4,11]
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