Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOTHERAPISTS WHO ARE PASSIONATELY COMMITTED TO PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH By Brian Miller A Dissertation Submitted to Case Western Reserve University In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences August, 2005 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the dissertation of Brian Miller Candidate for the Ph.D. degree*. (signed) Wally Gingerich, Ph.D. (chair of the committee) Jerry Floersch, Ph.D. Kathy Farkas, Ph.D. Mary Anthony, Ph.D. (date) May 26, 2005 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………… 5 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………7 Chapter I: Introduction…………………………………………………………………….9 Chapter II: Review of the Literature………………………………………………………18 The Definition and Nature of Burnout·············································································19 Associations of Work/Environmental Characteristics and Burnout in Mental Health Professionals··························································································································22 Associations of Personal Characteristics and Burnout in Social Service Workers/ Therapists································································································································23 Moderating Variables············································································································24 Burnout in Mental Health Workers in the Public Sector················································27 Burnout in Mental Health Therapists·················································································28 Critique of the Literature on Professional Burnout·························································30 Dlugos Study: Psychotherapists Who are Passionately Committed to their Work: A Qualitative Study of Their Experiences·········································································32 Critique of Dlugos·················································································································33 Chapter III: Method···························································································································34 Participants·····························································································································37 Identifying the Study Group·······························································································38 Design·····································································································································39 Interview Format···················································································································39 Procedures······························································································································42 Analysis···································································································································44 2 Coding·····································································································································45 Criteria for Evaluation··········································································································47 Chapter IV: Results·····························································································································48 Demographic Description of Nominated Participants···················································49 Participants’ Response to Their Nomination as Passionately Committed Psychotherapists····················································································································51 Participants’ Rating of Current Level of Burnout····························································52 Common Characteristics of Passionately Committed Psychotherapists: Categories and Coding··········································································································56 General Theme 1: Balance······················································································57 Table: General Categories of Findings, Percentage of Participants Identifying, Number of Data Points·····································································58 General Theme 2: Adaptiveness/Openness·······················································65 General Theme 3: Transcendence·······································································69 General Theme 4: Intentional Learning······························································73 General Theme 5: Personal Fit with Role···························································77 General Theme 6: Passion-Supporting Beliefs··················································94 Validation of Findings········································································································101 Chapter V: Discussion······················································································································104 Summary of Findings··········································································································105 Passionate Commitment and Burnout·············································································112 Implications of Study··········································································································114 Strengths of Study···············································································································117 Limitations of Study············································································································120 3 Recommendations for Further Study···············································································122 References··········································································································································125 Appendix A: Interview Protocol····································································································133 Appendix B: Nomination Form·····································································································135 Appendix C: Letter of Invitation····································································································136 Appendix D: Informed Consent Document················································································137 Appendix E: Codebook···················································································································140 4 Acknowledgments Five years ago, I imagined writing these acknowledgments as the crowning moment of the Ph.D. process, and I looked forward to it. Now, I find that words fail. Thank you, Mark Singer, for envisioning the Mandel Leadership Fellow program. Through this fellowship, I was tapped on the shoulder in the middle of my career and awakened. I wouldn’t have even started without you. My dissertation committee has failed in the reputation of such committees—they never made me jump through hoops, or added unnecessary difficulty into the process-- They have maintained the highest level of academic integrity while truly serving as consultants and partners. Jerry Floersch has taught me volumes about qualitative research—I hope this isn’t the end of our professional partnership. Wally Gingerich is the chair that everyone aspires to: Endlessly supportive, academically wise, and—that rarest of qualities-- always timely with his reviews of my chapters. My eight year old and twelve year old sons were, respectively, three and seven when I started this. Dad is home now, and I’m going to make up for every lost minute. Lori: Doctoral students typically tell their partners that it is they who have earned the Ph.D., and I know you understand this in a special way. It is you to whom I am passionately committed. Dad: You were supposed to be here for this. My sun has shifted, but I walk in your light. Thank you to the mental health managers who partnered with me to gather the nominations. You joined me unhesitatingly without anything to gain personally, and made the whole thing possible. On more than one occasion, you went so far as to seek me out to return any unused stamps on the nomination envelopes. Thanks for rooting for me. 5 Finally, my deepest thanks and personal respect go to the passionately committed psychotherapists who allowed me to interview them, and who gave generously of their time and ideas. My own faith in psychotherapy is renewed—not only by what you told me-- but even more, by the fact that people like you are out there. What my analysis can never really convey is your abundant goodness. I am certain that people are made well by your ministrations. 6 Abstract Many psychotherapists believe that the demands of managed care, performance pressures of hiring organizations, and an increasingly complex clientele have made the practice of psychotherapy difficult and unrewarding. Yet in this same environment, some psychotherapists flourish and remain enthusiastic about their work. The purpose of this study is to learn what distinctive attributes are shared by these individuals who are “passionately committed” to the practice of psychotherapy. Modifying the definition

Load more