Transpersonal practices as prevention intervention for burnout among HIV/AIDS coordinator teachers

Abstract

The impact of transpersonal psychology techniques as a treatment in burnout prevention interventions for teachers has not been studied in South Africa. This quantitative research study utilised a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design using the Beck Anxiety Inventory to measure anxiety and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to measure personal, work, and client dimensions of burnout. Thirty educators, who were HIV/AIDS coordinators in their schools located in South Metro, Western Cape, received 6 days of Capacitar training between March and September 2009, based on transpersonal psychology practices. These workshops were initially developed by Dr Pat Cane, who founded Capacitar International, California, USA, in her engagement with trauma and burnout survivors in 35 countries. While the pre-test means of the intervention and control groups of teachers were similar on the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory measures, there were significant reductions ( p < .01) in anxiety, personal, and work burnout in the post-test measures of the intervention group. There were also significant differences ( p < .05) in anxiety, personal, work, and client burnout of teachers between the intervention and control groups. The results of this study suggest that transpersonal psychological techniques could be an effective treatment in burnout prevention interventions in this teacher sample.