Burnout among music therapists: An integrative review

Year Published:

Abstract

Introduction: Burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops in response to chronic interpersonal job stressors and music therapists, like other healthcare providers, are at risk for burnout. To date, over 25 manuscripts related to burnout among music therapists have been published, however, no integration of the information exists.

Methods: An integrative review was conducted to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the literature on burnout among music therapists between the years of 1981 and 2017.

Results: A total of 26 publications from North America, Europe, and Asia were included, 17 of which were descriptive research studies. The findings indicated that music therapists are at average risk for burnout; however, they also experience more burnout than other mental health workers. Emotional exhaustion was the most experienced dimension of burnout, and Korean music therapists appear to be at greater risk than music therapists in other countries. Hours worked, years in the field, and gender did not appear to be strongly correlated with burnout, but work environment and work demands did appear to be connected. The most common contributors to burnout cited were work environment issues followed by compensation and workload, and individual personality traits may also increase the risk for burnout. However, self-care strategies may lower the degree of burnout experienced.

Discussion: Music therapists, like other helping professionals, are at risk for burnout. Strategies for managing and preventing burnout have been suggested, and those strategies are consistent with research in other fields. However, research is needed to explore the effectiveness of specific strategies.

Citation

Relevant Evidence Summaries

The evidence was reviewed and included in the following summaries: 

What works to reduce burnout and vicarious trauma among refugee service providers?

There is strong evidence for a variety of strategies to reduce vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout among helping professionals. A strong body of evidence has developed in the past twenty years on reducing stress reactions among a variety of professional helpers in a wide range of settings and professions. Strategies to…

About this study

AGE: Adults

DIRECTION OF EVIDENCE: Positive impact

FULL TEXT AVAILABILITY: Paid

HOST COUNTRY: Multiple countries

HOST COUNTRY INCOME: High

INTERVENTION DURATION: Varies

INTERVENTION: Organizational strategies

INTERVENTION: Self-care

OUTCOME AREA: Reduction of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary trauma

STRENGTH OF EVIDENCE: Strong

TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic review

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2019

More STUDIES

Using culturally appropriate, trauma-informed support to promote bicultural self-efficacy among resettled refugees: A conceptual model

Resettled refugees face pressure to integrate successfully into the culture of their resettlement country within a relatively short period of time. Though successful integration is important, research has shown that ethnic identity and participation in the ethnic culture of origin play a key role in supporting the mental health of resettled refugees. This paper presents…

Working towards culturally responsive trauma-informed care in the refugee resettlement process: Qualitative inquiry with refugee-serving professionals in the United States

Trauma-informed care (TIC) approaches have gained popularity in various contexts of human services over the past decades. However, relatively little has been explored about how it is applicable and built into services for refugee populations in resettlement programs. This study explores the current status of the application of TIC in refugee-serving agencies and identifies perceived…

A multitier model of refugee mental health and psychosocial support in resettlement: Toward trauma-informed and culture-informed systems of care

Refugees endure tremendous trauma during migration and resettlement. Despite the wide range of needs and challenges refugees have, previous research on refugee mental health has concentrated on the clinical treatment of certain common mental disorders related to premigration trauma. This narrow attention creates an environment in which positive mental health and social functioning are seen…