The Relevance between Difficulty and Mental Health Experienced by Therapists in Daycare Facilities for Children with Disabilities

Abstract

This study used the job demands-resources model (JD-R model) to examine the relevance between difficulty, burnout, and work engagement experienced by therapists in daycare facilities for children with disabilities. Participants included 177 staff members working in 50 organizations affiliated with Japan’s National Council for Child Development Support. The results showed that difficulty positively affected emotional exhaustion, while emotional exhaustion negatively affected work engagement. Moreover, engagement’s negative and positive effects influenced depersonalization and personal accomplishment, respectively. Furthermore, the organizational environment negatively influenced emotional exhaustion and positively affected work engagement. The results suggest that difficulty may enhance depersonalization while decreasing work engagement due to emotional exhaustion. Regarding job resources, the organizational environment weakened depersonalization via work engagement.

【Research Impacts】

This study used the JD-R model to clarify the relationship between difficulties experienced by therapists and mental health. The findings indicate that personal resources, such as coping strategies and job resources, such as social support and organizational climate, have an impact on the perceived level of difficulty and subsequently influence the mental health of therapists. Finally, this study partially identified the support required to improve therapists’ physical and mental health.