Burnout, coping and job satisfaction in service staff treating opioid addicts: from Athens to Zurich

The Treatment-systems Research on European Addiction Treatment study (TREAT-project) is a longitudinal multicenter study on predominantly opioid-dependent patients and their health-care system in six European cities. As part of the examination of the drug services, this study evaluates level of burnout, coping strategies, perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction among health-care workers treating opioid addicts. Employees were recruited from organizations in Athens, London, Padua, Stockholm, Zurich and Essen. The Maslach burnout inventory, Brief COPE, general self-efficacy questionnaire and a job satisfaction scale were filled in by about 383 drug service workers. One-third of the staff suffer from severe burnout. London and Stockholm colleagues are significantly more burdened than Zurich personnel where job satisfaction is highest. No cross-national differences could be detected concerning coping styles or level of perceived self-efficacy. Burnout is positively correlated to passive coping strategies and negatively linked to self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Males experience more depersonalization. Organizational features such as the entry-threshold level of the institution or out- vs. inpatient setting are relevant for coping strategies and job satisfaction. These and other findings are discussed in relation to preliminary data from the TREAT-project on characteristics of opioid addicted patients and other specific features of the drug treatment system.