The supervisory relationship from an attachment perspective: Connections to burnout and sense of coherence in health professionals

Abstract

Supervision is an essential part of the training and work environment of health professionals, especially of psychotherapists and clinical/health psychologists. However, although the supervisory process is always a relational one and may therefore be influenced by attachment dynamics, the importance of the supervisory relationship for the professional's performance and the well-being of the supervisee has yet to be fully examined. In this cross-sectional observational study, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-RD; avoidant and anxious attachment), the Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13) were analysed for 346 (81.8% female) health professionals. Considering professional experience and number of supervision sessions as control variables, a better supervisory relationship negatively predicted burnout symptoms (β = −.31) but positively predicted sense of coherence (β =.31, both p