Burnout among care staff for older adults with dementia: The role of reciprocity, self-efficacy and organizational factors

People working in the helping professions have been found to be vulnerable to the development of burnout and research has suggested a relationship between dementia care and burnout. Literature suggests that the development of burnout may be linked to a number of factors, including lack of reciprocity, low self-efficacy and organizational factors. The study explored burnout in staff for older people with dementia and examined the roles of reciprocity, self-efficacy and organizational factors and aimed to identify which of these variables was the greatest predictor of burnout. Sixty--one members of staff in continuing care homes for people with dementia completed self-report questionnaires. Self-efficacy was found to be the greatest predictor of burnout. Findings from the study also emphasized the connections of reciprocity, occupational commitment, demographic factors and self-efficacy with burnout. The clinical implications of the study, methodological considerations and recommendations for future research are discussed. 10.1177/1471301209350285