Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to determine the relationship between stress (as manifested in
anxiety and depression), coping strategies and burnout in South African clinical and counselling
psychologists. The degrees of anxiety and depression, as well as the levels of burnout and types of
coping strategies that psychologists used, were examined firstly. This was followed by an
investigation into the coping strategies that correlated with anxiety and depression respectively.
Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to complete this task. The relationship
between anxiety and burnout, as well as between depression and burnout, were examined, using
linear regression analyses. An investigation into the coping strategies that correlated with burnout
was also performed, using stepwise multiple regression analyses. Finally, the influence of various
biographical variables on burnout was determined, making use of linear regression analyses,
t-tests, one-way analyses of variance and Tukey tests.
The study was conducted with the aid of the internet, which involved the mailing of an explanatory
letter to a stratified, randomly selected sample of a thousand psychologists, requesting the
recipients to visit a web page and complete five questionnaires electronically. The test battery
consisted of the following: A biographical questionnaire; the Beck Depression Inventory (BOl),
which was used to determine the presence of depression; the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), to
examine the levels of burnout; the S-scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAl), which was
used to measure anxiety; and the Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief
COPE), for the measurement of fourteen different coping strategies. A total of 238 registered
psychologists (representing a response rate of 23.8%) participated in the study.
Results indicated that 134 (56.3%) psychologists experienced above-average levels of anxiety,
while 129 (54.2%) were at least mildly depressed. Regarding the three components of burnout, 72
(30.25%) and 64 (26.89%) experienced high and moderate levels of emotional exhaustion
respectively, 49 (20.59%) and 65 (27.31%) experienced high and moderate levels of
depersonalization respectively, while 68 (28.57%) and 84 (35.29%) reported strong and moderate
feelings of reduced personal accomplishment respectively. Participants made use of all 14 coping
strategies, as measured by the Brief COPE, but the coping strategy of active coping was used
mostly, while behavioural disengagement was used the least.
A combination of the coping strategies of self-blame, behavioural disengagement, denial, a lack of
humour, self-distraction, a lack of acceptance of the reality of the stressful situation, venting and
substance use, was a significant predictor of high levels of anxiety. A combination of substance
use, self-blame, self-distraction, denial, and a lack of seeking instrumental support, contributed significantly to the prediction of depression. The participants' levels of anxiety and depression,
respectively, were both significant predictors of burnout, as measured on all three MBI subscales.
Emotional exhaustion was significantly predicted by the combination of behavioural
disengagement, venting, a lack of humour, and active coping, while a combination of behavioural
disengagement, a lack of positive reframing, venting, a lack of religious involvement, selfdistraction,
the absence of emotional support seeking, and the absence of denial, significantly
predicted depersonalization. The combination of a lack of the use of positive reinterpretation, selfdistraction,
a lack of humour, self-blame, a lack of planning, seeking instrumental support, and
behavioural disengagement, significantly predicted feelings of reduced personal accomplishment.
Regarding biographical variables, the following results were obtained: Age was a significant
predictor of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, but not of feelings of reduced personal
accomplishment. Male psychologists experienced significantly more emotional exhaustion and
depersonalization than their female counterparts, but no significant difference between the sexes
was found for reduced personal accomplishment. The number of hours per week spent in
conducting psychotherapy with patients/clients was a significant positive predictor of emotional
exhaustion, depersonalization and feelings of personal accomplishment. The number of years in
practice only contributed significantly to the prediction of emotional exhaustion, but not to the
prediction of depersonalization or feelings of reduced personal accomplishment. Participants who
followed a psychodynamic therapeutic approach experienced significantly more emotional
exhaustion than those who used a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and personcentered
therapy. When comparing the systemic and narrative approaches, the former contributed
more significantly to feelings of reduced personal accomplishment in psychologists. No significant
differences regarding scores on any of the three MBI subscales were found between participants
who were married, divorced, or had never been married. Experiencing difficulties with the
settlement of accounts by medical aid schemes was a significant predictor of burnout, with respect
to all three MBI subscales. Having difficulties with bad debts, however, contributed significantly to
the prediction of a decrease in depersonalization, but not to the prediction of emotional exhaustion
or reduced personal accomplishment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doelstelling van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die verband tussen stres
(soos gemanifesteer in angs en depressie), streshanteringstrategieë en uitbranding by Suid-
Afrikaanse kliniese en voorligtingsielkundiges. Die mate van angs en depressie, asook die vlakke
van uitbranding en tipes streshanteringstrategieë wat sielkundiges gebruik het, is eerstens
vasgestel. Vervolgens is die streshanteringstrategieë wat verband hou met angs en depressie
onderskeidelik, met behulp van stapsgewyse meervoudige regressie-analises bepaal. Die verband
tussen angs en uitbranding, asook tussen depressie en uitbranding, is met behulp van lineêre
regressie-analises ondersoek. Verder is die streshanteringstrategieë wat verband hou met
uitbranding deur middel van stapsgewyse meervoudige regressie-analises bepaal. Laastens is die
invloed van, verskeie biografiese veranderlikes op uitbranding deur middel van lineêre regressieanalises,
t-toetse, eenrigting-variansie-analises en Tukey-toetse ondersoek.
Die studie is met behulp van die internet uitgevoer, wat behels het dat elke lid van 'n
gestratifiseerde, ewekansig-geselekteerde steekproef van 'n duisend geregistreerde kliniese en
voorligtingsielkundiges 'n brief per pos ontvang het, met die versoek om 'n webbladsy te besoek en
vyf vraelyste daarop te voltooi. Die toetsbattery het bestaan uit die volgende: 'n biografiese vraelys;
die Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), wat gebruik is om die teenwoordigheid van depressie by die
deelnemers vas te stel; die Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), om die vlakke van uitbranding te
ondersoek; die S-skaal van die State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAl), vir die meting van angs; asook
die Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE), wat gebruik is om te bepaal
in watter mate deelnemers 14 streshanteringstrategieë gebruik het. 'n Totaal van 238
geregistreerde sielkundiges (wat 'n responskoers van 23.8% verteenwoordig) het aan die studie
deelgeneem.
Die resultate het aangedui dat 134 (56.3%) sielkundiges bogemiddelde angsvlakke ervaar het,
terwyl 129 (54.2%) minstens tot 'n ligte mate depressief was. Wat die drie komponente van
uitbranding betref, het 72 (30.25%) hoë en 64 (26.89%) matige vlakke van emosionele uitputting
ervaar, 49 (20.59%) en 65 (27.31%) het onderskeidelik hoë en matige vlakke van depersonalisasie
ervaar, terwyl 68 (28.57%) en 84 (35.29%) onderskeidelik sterk en matige gevoelens van
verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid gerapporteer het. Die deelnemers het van al 14 Brief
COPE-streshanteringstrategieë gebruik gemaak, terwyl die meeste van aktiewe streshantering en
die minste van losmakingsgedrag gebruik gemaak het.
'n Kombinasie van die streshanteringstrategieë van selfblamering, losmakingsgedrag, ontkenning,
'n gebrek aan humor, self-afleiding, 'n gebrek aan aanvaarding van die realiteit van die stresvolle
situasie, emosionele ontlading en substansgebruik, was 'n beduidende voorspeller van hoë
angsvlakke. Die gesamentlike gebruik van substansgebruik, selfblamering, self-afleiding, ontkenning en die afwesigheid van instrumentele ondersteuningsoeke, was 'n beduidende
voorspeller van depressiewe simptomatologie. Die deelnemers se angs- en depressievlakke
onderskeidelik, was albei beduidende voorspellers van uitbranding ten opsigte van al drie die
subskale van die MBI.
Die streshanteringstrategieë wat emosionele uitputting beduidend voorspel het, was 'n kombinasie
van losmakingsgedrag, emosionele ontlading, 'n gebrek aan humor en die gebruik van aktiewe
streshanteringsmetodes. Depersonalisasie is beduidend voorspel deur die gesamentlike voorkoms
van losmakingsgedrag, 'n gebrek aan positiewe herformulering, emosionele ontlading, 'n gebrek
aan geloofsbeoefening, self-afleiding, die afwesigheid van emosionele ondersteuningsoeke en die
afwesigheid van ontkenning. Die gesamentlike voorkoms van 'n gebrek aan positiewe
herformulering, self-afleiding, 'n gebrek aan humor, selfblamering, 'n gebrek aan beplanning,
instrumentele ondersteuningsoeke en losmakingsgedrag, was beduidende voorspellers van
verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid.
Wat die biografiese veranderlikes betref, is die volgende resultate vir die totale steekproef verkry:
Ouderdom was 'n beduidende voorspeller van emosionele uitputting en depersonalisasie, maar nie
van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie. Manlike sielkundiges het beduidend meer
emosionele uitputting en depersonalisasie ervaar as hulle vroulike kollegas, maar geen
beduidende verskil tussen die geslagte is ten opsigte van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid
bevind nie. Die aantal ure wat per week aan psigoterapeutiese werk met pasiënte/kliënte bestee is,
was 'n beduidende positiewe voorspeller van emosionele uitputting, depersonalisasie en
gevoelens van persoonlike bekwaamheid. Die aantal jare wat sielkundiges reeds gepraktiseer het,
was slegs 'n beduidende voorspeller van emosionele uitputting, maar nie van depersonalisasie en
gevoelens van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie. Sielkundiges wat 'n psigodinamiese
terapeutiese benadering toegepas het, het beduidend meer emosionele uitputting ervaar as
diegene wat 'n kombinasie van kognitiewe gedragsterapie en persoonsgesentreerde terapie
gebruik het. In vergelyking met 'n narratiewe benadering, het die toepassing van 'n
sisteembenadering tot beduidend minder gevoelens van persoonlike bekwaamheid by sielkundiges
gelei. Geen beduidende verskille ten opsigte van sielkundiges wat getroud, geskei of nooit getroud
was, is ten opsigte van enige van die drie MBI-subskaaltellings gevind nie. Die ervaring van
probleme met die vereffening van rekeninge deur mediese fondse was 'n beduidende voorspeller
van uitbranding ten opsigte van al drie die MBI-subskale. Die ervaring van probleme met oninbare
skulde was egter 'n beduidende voorspeller van 'n afname in depersonalisasie, maar nie van
emosionele uitputting of verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53389 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Jordaan, Ilse |
| Contributors | Spangenberg, J.J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 156 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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