Comparing two burnout interventions: Job control mediates decrease in burnout

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study compared the effects of two rehabilitation interventions on burnout, and perceived job conditions during a one-year intervention among female white-collar workers. The participatory intervention (n = 20), involving rehabilitation activities focusing on the individual as well as individual-organizational levels, reduced exhaustion and cynicism and increased perceived job control during a one-year period. Increased job control served as a mechanism through which exhaustion and cynicism decreased in this intervention. The traditional intervention (n = 32), involving rehabilitation activities focusing mainly on the individual level, resulted in a reduction in time pressures during one year. Furthermore, both interventions improved perceived workplace climate. Compared to the traditional approach, the participatory intervention was a more effective strategy for treating burnout.

Key words: burnout, intervention, quasi-experimental study, rehabilitation, perceived job conditions