Abstract
Burnout is defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. While it is known that genetic counselors are at moderate-to-high risk for burnout, there is limited data that identifies specific predictors of burnout in clinical genetic counselors to assist in determining those most at risk. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of burnout in practicing clinical genetic counselors, identify work-related predictors of burnout, and investigate the relationship between counselor burnout and thoughts of leaving their current job. A sample of 367 practicing clinical genetic counselors recruited through the NSGC listserv completed an anonymous, online survey containing the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and questions about demographic and employment characteristics, social support, workload, and thoughts of leaving their current job. Results indicated that 52.9% of genetic counselors experience moderate-to-high levels of burnout. Ordinal logistic regression analysis yielded several significant predictors of burnout including low levels of social support (p<.001), greater workload (p=.027), younger age (p<.001), and marital status (p=.033). Chi-square analysis showed that burnout and thoughts of leaving current job were significantly associated (p<.001). The results confirm that clinical genetic counselors continue to be at risk of burning out, while also providing new insights into work-related predictors of burnout. These findings convey important target areas that may be integral to a genetic counselors’ professional well-being, including receiving adequate social and administrative support. Attention to these factors are likely to reduce the risk of burnout and prevent clinical genetic counselors from leaving clinical practice.