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Mental health professionals: manifestation of stress and burnout

Mental health professionals, working in an environment with high emotional demands, find themselves vulnerable to stress. This study aimed to assess the manifestation of stress, burnout and self-perception regarding stress and work in 25 alternative mental health service professionals. The following instruments were employed: Lipp's Inventory for Stress Symptoms in Adults; Maslach Burnout Inventory and a Supplementary Script. The participants, presented manifestations of stress (36%), rated themselves as being very stressed (44%) and having high emotional burnout (60%). For 60%, work was evaluated as being very stressful. The dimensions of emotional burnout and depersonalization showed negative correlation to age variable. In conclusion, there is a need to provide workers with supportive interventions, especially to younger workers. In addition, interventions should be directed towards the development of coping strategies in stressful work situations.

Self-concept; Burnout, professional; Mental healt


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E-mail: psychologicalstudies@puc-campinas.edu.br