Investigation of the quality of life among mental health professionals: The contribution of counseling

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the quality of life among mental health professionals. Dealing with everyday stressful situations and the responsibility of human life make these employees a vulnerable group. The present research seeks to study the relationship between the experience of counseling or psychotherapy on the part of employees and their quality of life. Forty-four mental health professionals participated in this quantitative research and the questionnaire used was the SF-36, which refers to the general health review. The group that stated that it has not experienced counseling or psychotherapy in the last five years was compared with the group that has experienced. The effect of the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants was also examined, with emphasis on the marital status and age between the two groups. The findings showed that the participation of employees in a counseling and / or psychotherapy process affects the physical role, as factor of quality of life (p = 0.045 <0.005). Age is negatively correlated with physical function (p = -0.571, p <0.001). The level of education affects general health (p = 0.012), with high school graduates excelling over the rest. Monthly income differentiates the factors of physical functionality (p = 0.047) and social functionality (p = 0.016). Gender and marital status do not affect the quality of life of employees. The findings highlight the need for Mental Health Centers to focus on counseling and psychotherapy programs for their employees, in order to improve their quality of life and consequently the quality of their services.