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Burnout and Engagement in Health Profession Students: The Relationships Between Study Demands, Study Resources and Personal Resources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2015

Tamara G. Robins ,
Rachel M. Roberts  and
Aspa Sarris
Tamara G. Robins*
Affiliation:
The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Rachel M. Roberts
Affiliation:
The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Aspa Sarris
Affiliation:
The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Ms Tamara G. Robins, c/–School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Burnout has been related to increased suicidal thoughts, lower self-esteem and dropout in university students. Engagement in students, however, has been underexplored. This study uses the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the Conservational of Resources (COR) model to contribute to the knowledge about burnout and engagement in health profession university students. In particular, the role of personal resources, including psychological flexibility, was examined. Participants were 260 nursing, social work, occupational therapy and psychology students from 10 Australian universities. Regression analyses were used to test the JD-R model with a health profession student sample. The model was extended by including personal resources and testing mediation and moderation hypotheses. Personal resources contributed significant additional variance to the model. Mediation effects of study demands and resources with psychological flexibility were found, while moderation effects were not. The results indicate the validity of the JD-R model in a health profession student population and the important role of personal resources. Further design and evaluation of interventions targeting personal resources and study demands and resources are indicated.

Keywords

burnoutengagementpersonal resourcespsychological flexibilityJob Demands-Resources Model
Type
Articles
Information
The Australasian Journal of Organisational Psychology , Volume 8 , 2015 , e1
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Psychological Society Ltd 2015 

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