Abstract

Background: It is generally accepted that mental health professionals experience high levels of burnout. Burnout is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that occurs because of a complex interplay between individual and contextual factors.
To understand the impact of contextual factors on burnout among mental health professionals, I looked at how recent healthcare reforms have altered the mental health service delivery and then examined the impact of resulting changes to the work environment on burnout. Specifically, I focused on the creation of primary mental health teams and the experiences of clinical psychologists working in them.

Objective: To identify the organizational correlates of burnout associated with interdisciplinary teamwork in primary care.

Method: Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted targeting full-time clinical psychologists in primary care. Participants reported the job demands associated with teamwork and the resources available to meet those demands. The interviews were conducted in person and over the telephone in both official languages. The audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: The participants reported six job demands that clustered around three areas of work-life: control, workload, and community. Five resources were classified as functional, motivational, and professional development. The former contributed to their stress experience, whereas the latter were instrumental in achieving work goals, and satisfied basic human needs for relatedness and competence.

Recommendations: Improve participative decision-making and autonomy; adequate provisions for consultations; reduce administrative burden; develop a digital integration strategy and protocols for knowledge creation.