Extending the two-process model of burnout in child protection workers: the role of resilience in mediating burnout via organizational factors of control, values, fairness, reward, workload, and community relationships

Burnout has been disproportionally reported in child protection social work. This paper presents data from 162 child protection staff in Northern Ireland, assessed for burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Path models were estimated, based on an extension of the two-process demands and values model (Leiter, ) to include additional measures of resilience using the Resilience Scale-14, as well as perceived rewards and sense of community from the Areas of Work Life Scale (Leiter, ). Optimal model fit was achieved by modelling resilience as a mediator of the relationship between organizational factors of control and value congruence and burnout. Resilience also directly predicted emotional exhaustion (β = -.23, p < .005) and personal accomplishment (β = .46, p < .001). Workload was the strongest direct predictor of emotional exhaustion (β = -.54, p < .001). Adding perceived rewards to extend the two-process model resulted in moderate associations with control (β = .44, p < .001), workload (β = .26, p < .005), fairness (β = .40, p < .001), and values (β = .32, p < .001). In the final model, resilience is modelled as both an outcome of some organizational factors whilst also making a unique direct contribution to explaining burnout alongside other organizational factors. Other pathways and mediating relationships are reported and further research directions discussed.