Public service stress and burnout over 12 months

Background: Research indicates that workplace stress has the potential to harm employee health with stress and stress related absence increasing significantly during economic recession and times of organizational change. Aims: To explore whether psychosocial hazards and burnout changed over a 12 month period in a public sector organization during a period of severely reduced organizational finances. Methods: The Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Scale (MBI-GS) were administered to employees of one local government department in July 2011 and July 2012. Results: A total of 128 employees completed the questionnaires in July 2011 (response rate 67%) and 57 in July 2012 (response rate 54%). MSIT factor scores of demands, peer support and role worsened significantly over the period of study. Furthermore, all psychosocial hazards scored worse than the recommended level set by Health and Safety Executive. Two burnout dimensions, ‘demands’ and ‘cynicism’, significantly worsened over the 12 month period but professional efficacy increased. Conclusions: The MSIT and MBI-GS appeared to have utility in this comparison. Psychosocial hazards appeared to worsen over the 12 months of the study, as ‘demands’ and ‘cynicism’ increased. However, an increase in professional efficacy was also seen, which requires further investigation.