The Relationship between Mindfulness and Burnout among Master of Social Work Students

Social work students frequently endure elevated levels of prolonged stress and psychological affliction that might result in serious consequences, such as development of burnout. Some experts suggest that burnout originates in the exposure to chronic interpersonal stressors in the work environment. Yet, there is emerging evidence suggesting that mindfulness practice might be beneficial in alleviating stress. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness and burnout among Master of Social Work students. Burnout, mindfulness, religiosity, spirituality and their potential relationship were discussed and related to previous scholarly literature. Specifically, this study focused on testing the hypothesis that current MSW students who demonstrate higher levels of mindfulness will report less burnout, regardless of the year in the MSW program and regardless of the years of practice in human services. In addition, the hypothesis that students currently involved in direct social work practice (either outside of the MSW program, in the MSW field placement, or both) experience higher levels of burnout than students not yet practicing was scrutinized. Moreover, the hypothesis that as students progress in their studies they will exhibit progressively more burnout was explored. Finally, one of this study’s goals was to explore whether patterns/relationships between the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices predict burnout levels among Master of Social Work students. Participants were mostly non-Hispanic White females, with a mean age of 35, married (or in legally recognized unions), and first year students enrolled full-time in the Direct Human Services track. Two years was the most common length of their experience in human ii services. They came from the metropolitan Portland area (on-campus students) and other regions of Oregon (off-site students). The mindfulness of the participants was measured with the Five Facets Mindfulness Scale and the levels of their burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Study results indicated that the more mindful the MSW students were, the less burnout they reported experiencing. A large correlation of mindfulness to reduced burnout (p < .001) was found, a relationship that persisted when controlling for other significant variables through sequential regression analysis. However, neither year in the MSW program, length of practicing in human services, nor religious/spiritual affiliation and practices had any significant influence on burnout among participants. Given the results of this study demonstrated statistically significant relationships between mindfulness and burnout among social work students, it is recommended that appropriate training in mindfulness for the students (and social workers) affected by secondary trauma and burnout should be incorporated in social work education, either as a part of curricula, or in an extra-curricular training program. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GRATITUDE ! I have been fortunate to have met many amazing professors, who not only excelled in their fields of expertise, but could also be valued for their humanity. Some of them have been serving on my dissertation committee. First, my gratefulness goes to my dissertation chair, Eileen Brennan, who endlessly supported me over the years. Eileen, I could have never made it without your professionalism, wisdom, and understanding. Your mentorship means so much to me that I can only show it by paying it forward. Many heartfelt thanks go to Dan Coleman, my statistical consultant. I have been inspired by you, as a professor and a human being, from the moment we met in a doctoral statistic class. I hope that we can stay in touch and collaborate on many projects in the future. Julie Rosenzweig, you have challenged me many times, exactly when I needed it most. Thanks for everything, for your priceless suggestions to improve this dissertation and, especially, for your original perspectives on research and teaching. Vicki Cotrell, the gentle ways of sharing your knowledge and wisdom with me were truly comforting and inspiring. You made me believe that I can write, and for this I will be always grateful. Thomas Kindermann, I am still amazed that taking your psychology class has resulted in such a wonderful collaboration. I value not only your knowledge, and your constructive contribution to this study, but also . your European sense of humor. I am honored and humbled by your willingness to serve on my committee. I also want to express my gratitude to my family (my Mom, brothers Andrzej and Marek, wonderful sister-in-law Dana, and my niece Ania), and to friends who became my American family (Julie, John, and Wanda). Each of you was an important part of my success and I will never forget the encouragement you have offered me for years. To my iv late Dad – thank you for instilling in me the hunger for knowledge, for challenging the way the world functions, for the drive to be better and always do better. I dedicate this dissertation to you with the hope that you know I have finally arrived at the next stop. To all MSW students at Portland State University, those participating in my doctoral study and those who shared their lives with me during classes – you were my teachers in humility, honestly, and understanding. I will never forget any of you! Moreover, many thanks to the instructors and the School of Social Work staff, for the ongoing assistance and kindness. Finally, I am grateful for my feline companion, George aka Luluś, whose “purring” presence carried me through many sleepless nights and whose gentle ways comforted me during difficult days.