Towards a match between job demands and sources of social support: A study among oncology care providers

Abstract

Examined the relationship between 3 different types of job demands (quantitative, emotional, and organizational demands) and burnout, and determined whether the relationship between the different types of job demands and burnout is moderated by social support from 3 different sources (colleagues, supervisors, and family). Dimensions of burnout were restricted to those of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Ss were 816 oncology care providers (nurses, physicians, and radiotherapy assistants; aged 21–63 yrs) who completed mailed questionnaires assessing quantitative job demands, confrontation with death and dying, organizational demands, social support, and burnout. The results show that quantitative job demands and organizational job demands significantly contribute to the prediction of burnout. Further, social support from the family appears to moderate the relationship between quantitative demands and depersonalization, and social support from colleagues appears to moderate the relationship between emotional demands and depersonalization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)