Who thrives as a direct support professional? Personal motivation and resilience in direct support

Abstract

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are an essential part of the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). High rates of DSP turnover and vacancy have spurred much research into the occupational stress and burnout experienced by DSPs. There are, however, DSPs who remain motivated by and successful in the profession. Less research has been done on what makes these DSPs resilient to the same stressors that negatively affect other DSPs. The present study used the tenets of sensitivity theory to examine the relationships between motivation and outcome measures relevant to DSP success, namely vocational strain, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The motive of family related positively and vengeance related negatively with the three outcome variables. To a lesser extent, citizenship and social contact were positively related and prestige was negatively correlated with outcomes. The relevance of these findings and their potential applications to DSP recruitment and training are discussed.