Abstract
Burnout among human service workers appears to be a serious problem affecting the delivery of care. Findings from previous empirical researches indicate that burnout results from reactions to the inconvenience inherent in the work environment, and that burnout may cause the workers to change their attitudes and behaviors. This paper presents and discusses research findings about the effects on burnout of various aspects of the work environment. The data were collected from nurses (n=163), physical therapeutists (n=60), operational therapeutists (n=38), homehelpers (n=78) employed at hospitals, welfare agencies, and so on. The major determinants of emotional exhaution were found to be the experience of trouble with others including their colleagues; role ambiguity; and the lack of discretion to clients.
