The Effects of Grit on Burnout Tendency and Social Status in Human Service Professions: Does Grit Make It Hard to Burnout?

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effects of grit (consistency/perseverance) on burnout tendency (emotional exhaustion/depersonalization/personal accomplishment) and social status using an online survey of human service professionals (doctors, nurses, and care workers; 233 males, 217 females). We predicted that the doctors’ grit scores would be highest if grit predicts social success. However, there were no differences in grit scores between the different occupations. On the other hand, consistency was higher in managerial than non-managerial positions. In addition, we examined the impact of grit on burnout tendency. The analysis showed that perseverance suppresses depersonalization and personal accomplishment, and consistency suppresses emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Quantile regression revealed that grit does not increase burnout in any percentile, whereas suppression of burnout tendency changes as symptoms progress.