| Literature on burnout has traditionally focused on individuals who work in human service organizations, such as teachers (Brennikmeyer, Van Ypern, & Buunk, 2001), correctional officers (Pines & Maslach, 1978), and mental health workers (Baba, Galperin, & Lituchy, 1999). Emergency dispatchers have been understudied in regard to burnout and in the psychological literature. This study sought to discover the path to burnout among this population. A total of 129 emergency dispatchers, recruited from two cities in California, participated in the study. In the mid-size city there were 36 participants, and in the large-size city there were 93. Of the total population studied, 17.8% were male and 82.2% were female. Ages ranged from 22 to 59, with the mean age of 35 years. The dispatchers' experience on the job ranged from 2 months to 27 years, with the average tenure being 6 years (SD = 5.92). Participants were approached at work and completed all materials during work hours. Several instruments were used to assess, through structural equation modeling, whether burnout could be predicted in emergency dispatchers: Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (Western Psychological Services, 2001), COPE (Carver, Scheier & Weintraub, 1989), Malslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; Maslach & Jackson, 1981), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd ed. (MMPI-2; Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer 1994). The predicted path began with the use of negative coping strategies, which led to vicarious trauma, to psychological distress, and finally to burnout. Initial analysis revealed that the model did not meet adequate fit, χ 2(42) = 91.187, p < 001, CFI = .84. Through post hoc analysis, using the Lagrange multiplier, three parameters were added to the hypothesized model, which revealed a direct relationship between coping strategies and burnout, χ2(39) = 70.608, p < 05, CFI = .90. The findings suggest that negative coping strategies are predictive of vicarious trauma, as well as of burnout; vicarious trauma can lead to psychological distress and further to burnout. This study has contributed to the literature regarding emergency dispatchers and the effects that working in such an occupation has on an individual in regards to vicarious trauma, psychological distress, and burnout. |
