BCBAs watch over their patients but may overlook their own well-being. Our guide is the definitive source for combating burnout, backed by research and expert advice. Learn to identify signs and prevent burnout by fostering a supportive ABA environment.
BCBA burnout refers to the emotional and physical exhaustion that BCBAs can experience. This burnout comes from the high stress and demands of their work. Burnout can lead to feelings of cynicism and detachment from the work.
Burnout results from prolonged, chronic, unresolvable job-related stress. The term "burnout" comes from the metaphor of exhausting or smothering a fire. With burnout, a long-term imbalance of demands and resources eventually makes a person unable to adapt.
BCBA burnout specifically refers to the state of burnout experienced by ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) professionals, including BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) and RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians).
BCBA burnout is a critical concern for ABA clinic owners and anyone aspiring to open an ABA clinic. It is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of burnout, including its definition, identification, and prevention strategies, to create a supportive clinic where patients and staff thrive.
There are several definitions of burnout, but most draw from Christina Maslach, Ph.D., and Susan Jackson, Ph.D. These two noted researchers defined burnout as a three-dimensional syndrome comprising emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Their most cited paper, "The Measurement of Experienced Burnout," published in 1981 by the Journal of Occupational Behavior, introduced the Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure burnout.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) uses a very similar definition, characterizing burnout with three dimensions: "(1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, (2) increased mental distance from one's job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job and (3) reduced professional efficacy." Critically, this definition specifies that burnout refers specifically to occupational, or work, exhaustion, and is not a general mental condition that appears in other parts of life.
Experts disagree on the specific definition of burnout. However, they all agree that burnout can persist unnoticed for years and create a self-perpetuating cycle that negatively affects ABA staff, patients, and the clinic.
BCBA burnout hurts the BCBA's physical and emotional well-being. It can also cause BCBAs to quit, leading to high turnover that is expensive for the clinic to manage. Also, long-term stress hinders the BCBA's work and patient care.
A 2022 BMC public health paper titled "Shortening of the Burnout Assessment" addresses the negative toll that burnout can play on an individual's health. The authors write that burnout is "associated with poor physical and mental health of employees such as cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression, musculoskeletal disorders, insomnia, and psychosomatic complaints."
Burnout's cost goes beyond the toll on individuals. It also affects clinic operations, leading to employee turnover. That's especially true if BCBA professionals perceive no signs of improvement or change. This leads clinics to face the costly process of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees.
Researchers put a dollar amount on the cost of burnout in a 2022 paper titled "Self-Care Strategies and Job-Crafting Practices Among Behavior Analysts: Do They Predict Perceptions of Work-Life Balance, Work Engagement, and Burnout?" The paper, published in Behavior Analysis in Practice, states that "costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training new employees can vary widely, but can amount to as much as 200% of 1 year's salary. The paper cited salaries for ABA service providers range from approximately $34,050 to $39,100 for direct reports and roughly $67,200 to $83,100 for supervisors. The authors continue, estimating that "the average turnover costs per individual ABA service provider could be as high as $166,200."
Exhaustion is the main symptom of burnout in ABA. This includes all forms of exhaustion: emotional, mental, and physical. Other symptoms include reduced job satisfaction, decreased job performance, and high turnover rates.
The available literature on ABA burnout is limited, but we can draw insights from the extensive research discussing burnout in the broader workplace context. Surprisingly, despite its widespread recognition across numerous fields, there is no universally agreed-upon list of symptoms specific to burnout in ABA. Unlike an independent diagnostic category in the Internal Classification of Diseases, burnout is classified as an occupational phenomenon. Some define it as a syndrome that arises from chronic, unmanaged workplace stress. Consequently, clinicians don't have a standardized set of symptoms to diagnose burnout professionally.
Still, when assessing burnout, experts focus first on mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Then, they focus on the second of the three dimensions used by WHO: (2) cynicism related to one's job and (3) reduced professional efficacy. These are the three symptoms that the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI) uses to assess whether an individual is suffering from burnout.
Burnout touches all parts of the clinician's social network, from their colleagues to their patients to their friends. Consequently, many experts argue that burnout symptoms don't just exist at an individual level.
Noted researcher Wilmar Schaufeli, Ph.D., makes this case in the 1999 book Stress in Health Professionals: Psychological and Organizational Causes and Interventions. He writes, "Burnout is not restricted to symptoms at the individual level. In addition, interpersonal symptoms in relation to recipients are also observed (irritability, dehumanization, indifference) as well as symptoms at the organizational level ( job dissatisfaction, job turnover, low morale)."
Twenty-one years later, Schaufeli developed his Burnout Assessment Tool. It's a questionnaire with four dimensions: exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment.
Researchers also developed a new approach to diagnose and screen individuals for burnout, specifically focusing on the link between burnout and depression. They call this system the Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI).
Burnout is a serious problem for clinic professionals. The earlier you treat BCBA and RBT burnout, the better. Watch out for these signs:
Bardsley, BCBA, describes her experience with burnout as an "emotional spiral."
"When I'm experiencing burnout," she says, "I know that I can't deliver the level of excellence I strive for, which only heightens my emotions that are already around me from the staff, kids, and parents. And it's not just the emotional toll; it affects my physical well-being too. I find myself overstimulated throughout the day, and it can be difficult to find peaceful sleep at night. Additionally, it sneaks into my social life and decision-making, often without my awareness. It's a delicate balancing act, trying to prioritize myself without letting others down, even though it's not my intention."
In two recent studies, about two-thirds of ABA professionals were experiencing medium to high burnout. The rate depends on job status, degree of burnout, outside support, age, and other demographic factors.
In a 2021 study, 72% of BCBAs and RBTs reported medium to high levels of burnout. The researchers surveyed 826 ABA practitioners with various experience levels for their paper titled "Self-Care Strategies and Job-Crafting Practices Among Behavior Analysts: Do They Predict Perceptions of Work-Life Balance, Work Engagement, and Burnout?" It appeared in the journal Behavioral Analysis in Practice.
In a 2018 survey, two-thirds of early-career BCBAs (about 67%) experienced moderate to high burnout. For this study, 183 early-career BCBAs took the Maslach Burnout Inventory test to measure burnout. The authors published their findings in the European Journal of Behavior Analysis.
Given those studies, it seems clear that burnout is prevalent in ABA, although the burnout rates likely vary within the diverse population of BCBAs and RBTs. You have tools at your disposal to gauge your team's situation.
Use the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Occupational Depression Inventory, or Burnout Assessment Tool to evaluate your staff’s burnout levels. These assessments provide valuable insights into your emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. By understanding your staff’s burnout risk, you can take proactive steps to prevent and manage burnout effectively.
Burnout in ABA happens when multiple factors interfere with work-life balance. The demanding nature of ABA work, with its long hours and intense emotional demands, can result in exhaustion and decreased personal time.
The specific causes of burnout vary but can include prolonged work demands, long hours, low salaries, persistent conflict, and more. Socio-demographic factors play a role, too. The 2018 study on “High levels of burnout among early-career board-certified behavior analysts with low collegial support in the work environment,” published in the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, found that young individuals who may define work as their primary source of satisfaction report higher rates of burnout.
Bardsley says she's more likely to experience burnout when her caseload becomes unmanageable. "There was a time at my previous center where I had eight cases, all with similar-aged clients. However, the amount of work required for each case was overwhelming. When the current center I work for first opened, I was the only BCBA. I had to write all the programs, handle all the challenging behaviors — it felt like they were all intense problem behaviors. It was just adding fuel to the fire. And that was even before the onset of COVID."
She adds: "However, I also noticed that it's the emotionally intense cases that truly contribute to a quick spiral into burnout. When you have a substantial number of emotionally intense clients or cases, it's not just about managing your own burnout anymore. You also have to grapple with the burnout experienced by your staff members as they struggle to stay motivated."
Mental health professionals are particularly susceptible to burnout because several factors intersect. Here's a summary of the contributing factors for burnout:
Individuals and employers have tools to reduce ABA burnout. Ideally, individuals and their clinics will work together. Take these steps:
Addressing burnout should not be a last resort. Instead, be proactive. You might find it’s like implementing antecedents in ABA behavior intervention plans (BIPs). These interventions aim to mitigate burnout and enhance overall well-being by cultivating a healthier work environment.
A survey of 92 ABA professionals highlighted the importance of high-quality training and ongoing supervision in preventing burnout. The authors published their research in a 2019 paper titled “Supervision for Certification in the Field of Applied Behaviour Analysis: Characteristics and Relationship with Job Satisfaction, Burnout, Work Demands, and Support.” It appeared in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
To avoid burnout, BCBA and RBT professionals can prioritize self-care, set boundaries, seek support, and practice stress management. They can also work with staff to manage workloads and implement system-wide changes that promote a healthy work-life balance.
Here are a few ways that individuals can reduce burnout:
To reduce burnout and turnover, ABA practices can foster a positive work environment, provide regular support, and promote work-life balance among staff. They can also enable a community within their clinic.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more ABA clinic owners have become aware that their teams suffer from burnout. Since then, many clinics have taken more measures to prevent burnout and alleviate its effects when it does arise.
“I’ve definitely noticed, especially since COVID, that more clinics are mindful about making sure that BCBAs are not overloaded with work,” says Bardsley.
Here’s a summary of how ABA practices can reduce BCBA and RBT burnout and subsequent turnover.
Applied Behavior Analysis practice management software offers a wide range of advantages that can help ABA practices to enhance the bottom line. They can create a more productive and contented workforce by engaging employees and investing in their growth.
These advantages include:
“Implementing software in our ABA practice has been a game-changer in mitigating burnout,” notes Bardsley. “It has given us a significant amount of time back, allowing us to focus on what truly matters.”
Combat burnout and cultivate a positive work environment with Artemis ABA software. Simplify staff communications, automate tasks, and leverage data for informed decisions. Transform your operations and reduce turnover by putting your team’s needs first. Artemis ABA practice management stands out as the premier choice for clinics looking to reduce turnover and boost staff retention. Its user-friendly interface, streamlined workflows, automation capabilities, and data-driven insights create a positive work environment that supports staff satisfaction and longevity.
With Artemis, clinics can cultivate a culture of growth, success, and self-care, ensuring a thriving and dedicated team of clinicians committed to providing the highest quality care to their clients. With AI-powered technology for billing and revenue management, Artemis improves financial performance, creating a stable and secure work environment for staff and the organization.
If you’re hoping to create a thriving ABA clinic, try Artemis ABA. Artemis understands how quickly clinic management and organization can get in the way of patient — and staff — care. Trust Artemis to put your staff and patients first and unlock the full potential of your ABA clinic.
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