Herbert J. Freudenberger

Bio: Herbert J. Freudenberger is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Burnout & Group work. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 5 publications receiving 3742 citations.

Staff burn-out

Abstract: The concept of staff burn-out is explored in terms of the physical signs and the behavioral indicators. There is a discussion of how the cognitive, the judgmental as well as the emotional factors are intruded upon once the process is in motion. Further material deals with who is prone to staff burn-out and what dedication and commitment can imply from both a positive and negative point of view. A practical section deals with what preventive measures a clinic staff can take to avoid burn-out among themselves, and if unluckily it has taken place then what measures may be taken to insure caring for that person, and the possibility of his return to the clinic at some future time.

Crisis Intervention, Individual and Group Counseling, and the Psychology of the Counseling Staff in a Free Clinic

Abstract: In terms of personal qualities, a competent free clinic counselor ought to be able to manifest a degree of warmth and humor, feel comfortable with people, and have a facility and liking for people. The chapter also discusses techniques of staff training, the need for common objectives, the use of role playing, films, tapes, and video-tape equipment, the possibility of using two-counselor teams both for training and for the possibility of one's substituting for the other in case of absence. Techniques and “how to” in terms of crisis counseling for individual and group work are presented. The crisis intervention approach is demonstrated, as well as means of assessing strengths and weaknesses in those who seek help. Issues of the dynamics of the counseling staff are discussed, the subtle dependency relationships that are established, the problems of transference and mutual need that may be acted upon through counseling. Finally, the author presents the issues of community education and prevention work, as part of a counselor's task.

Gold medal award for life achievement in the practice of psychology

Abstract: The American Psychological Foundation (APA) Gold Medal Awards recognize distinguished and enduring records of accomplishment in four areas of psychology: the application of psychology, the practice of psychology, psychology in the public interest, and the science of psychology. The 2008 recipient of the American Psychological Foundation (APF) Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology is Florence W. Kaslow. A citation, biography, and selected bibliography for Florence W. Kaslow are provided in this article.

The measurement of experienced burnout

Abstract: A scale designed to assess various aspects of the burnout syndrome was administered to a wide range of human services professionals. Three subscales emerged from the data analysis: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Various psychometric analyses showed that the scale has both high reliability and validity as a measure of burnout.

A Review and an Integration of Research on Job Burnout

Abstract: Burnout is a unique type of stress syndrome, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. Although burnout has been shown to be potentially very costly in the helping professions, such as nursing, education, and social work, little work has been done thus far to establish its generalizability to industry. This article reviews the literature on burnout and provides a conceptual framework designed to improve the understanding of burnout. Propositions are presented that are aimed at clarifying the dynamics of burnout, including determinants of and interrelationships among the three burnout components.

Using the job demands-resources model to predict burnout and performance

Abstract: The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was used to examine the relationship between job characteristics, burnout, and (other-ratings of) performance (N = 146). We hypothesized that job demands (e.g., work pressure and emotional demands) would be the most important antecedents of the exhaustion component of burnout, which, in turn, would predict in-role performance (hypothesis 1). In contrast, job resources (e.g., autonomy and social support) were hypothesized to be the most important predictors of extra-role performance, through their relationship with the disengagement component of burnout (hypothesis 2). In addition, we predicted that job resources would buffer the relationship between job demands and exhaustion (hypothesis 3), and that exhaustion would be positively related to disengagement (hypothesis 4). The results of structural equation modeling analyses provided strong support for hypotheses 1, 2, and 4, but rejected hypothesis 3. These findings support the JD-R model's claim that job demands and job resources initiate two psychological processes, which eventually affect organizational outcomes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout

Abstract: So far, the large majority of studies on burnout in the international literature have employed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). In this paper we criticize the MBI on a number of points and present a new tool for the measurement of burnout: the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). The CBI consists of three scales measuring personal burnout, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout, for use in different domains. On the basis of an ongoing prospective study of burnout in employees in the human service sector, the PUMA study (Project on Burnout, Motivation and Job Satisfaction; N=1914 at baseline), we analysed the validity and reliability of the CBI. All three scales were found to have very high internal reliability, and non-response rates were small. The scales differentiated well between occupational groups in the human service sector, and the expected pattern with regard to correlations with other measures of fatigue and psychological well-being was found. Furthermore, the three scales ...