The American journal of orthopsychiatry
-
Am J Orthopsychiatry · Apr 2008
Comparative StudyPerson--job match among frontline staff working in residential treatment centers: the impact of personality and child psychopathology on burnout experiences.
Prior research has shown that the personality variables extraversion and neuroticism predict burnout among frontline staff working in residential treatment centers. This study tested the hypothesis that the effect of personality on burnout would be moderated by the psychiatric characteristics of the youth served on the milieu. ⋯ Results indicated that the effect of neuroticism on burnout is moderated by psychosis and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); high and moderate milieu ratings of psychosis and PTSD showed a positive relationship between neurosis and burnout, while low ratings of these conditions showed no relationship. These findings suggest that the optimal work setting is a function of the interaction between specific personality characteristics and specific work environments, with implications for personnel selection and future research on person-environment fit.