Effort-reward imbalance and burnout among humanitarian aid workers

Jachens, Liza; Houdmont, Jonathan; Thomas, Roslyn

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined stress-related working conditions – defined in terms of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) – and its association with burnout among a large, international sample of humanitarian aid workers.

Methods: Descriptive statistics were applied on crosssectional survey data (N=1,980) to profile ERI and burnout and Pearson’s χ 2 tests used to characterize associated socio- and occupational-demographic factors. Associations between ERI and burnout were established using binary logistic regression to generate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for potential confounding variables.

Results: For high emotional exhaustion, the prevalence rate was 36% for women and 27% for men; high depersonalisation, 9% and 10%; and low personal achievement, 47% and 31%. Intermediate and high ERI was associated with significantly increased odds of high emotional exhaustion, with mixed findings for depersonalisation and personal achievement.

Conclusions: The ERI model was supported as a useful framework for investigating occupational correlates of burnout.

Citation

Jachens, L., Houdmont, J., & Thomas, R. (2019). Effort-reward imbalance and burnout among humanitarian aid workers. Disasters, 43(1), 67-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12288

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 20, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 12, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Deposit Date: Aug 1, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2018
• Journal: Disasters
• Print ISSN: 0361-3666
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-7717
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 67-87
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12288
• Keywords: effort-reward imbalance, burnout, humanitarian aid worker
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/938055
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/disa.12288
• Contract Date: Aug 1, 2017