Staff who Work with People who have Intellectual Disabilities: The Importance of Personality
John Rose
Lecturer and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dudley Priority Health NHS Trust and The University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK,
Search for more papers by this authorGareth David
Clinical Psychologist, Llandough Children's Centre, Llandough Hospital, Penlan Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 2XX, UK and
Search for more papers by this authorChristopher Jones
Lecturer, The University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Rose
Lecturer and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dudley Priority Health NHS Trust and The University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK,
Search for more papers by this authorGareth David
Clinical Psychologist, Llandough Children's Centre, Llandough Hospital, Penlan Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 2XX, UK and
Search for more papers by this authorChristopher Jones
Lecturer, The University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Background Previous research into stress in staff who work with people with intellectual disabilities has concentrated on the organizational determinants of stress and has tended to overlook the relative contribution of individual differences. A model was proposed to describe possible relationships between work-based stressors, staff support, personality, coping strategy and psychological outcome.
Methods A survey methodology was used with care staff in community-based homes for people with intellectual disability.
Results Analysis of the model explored how these variables might affect one another in their relationship to psychological outcomes. The most significant findings of this research was the direct effects found between personality (neuroticism), coping style (wishful thinking) and stress. A significant interaction was also observed between job demands and neuroticism.
Conclusions These research findings highlight the importance of personality factors in determining stress levels in staff and suggest several possible intervention strategies. One intervention point may be to teach self-management techniques to help some staff cope with periods of high demand, particularly those reporting high levels of neuroticism.
References
- Aiken L. S. & West S. G. (1991) Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Sage, Newbury Park, CA.
-
Alexander M. &
Hegarty J. (2000) Measuring staff burnout in a community home.
British Journal of Developmental Disabilities
46 (1), 51–62.
10.1179/096979500799155810 Google Scholar
- Allen P., Pahl J. & Quine L. (1990) Care Staff in Transition. HMSO, London.
- Banks M. H., Clegg C. W., Kemp N. J., Stafford E. M. & Wall T. D. (1980) The use of the GHQ as an indicator of mental health in occupational studies. Journal of Occupational Psychology 53, 187–194.
- Baron R. M. & Kenny D. A. (1986) The moderator/mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51, 1173–1182.
- Bersani H. A. & Heifetz L. A. (1987) Perceived stress and satisfaction of direct-care staff members in community residences for mentally retarded adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 90, 289–295.
- Bromley J. & Emerson E. (1995) Beliefs and emotional reactions of care staff working with people with challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 39, 341–342.
- Buckhalt J., Marchetti A. & Bearden L. (1990) Sources of job stress and job satisfaction reported by direct care staff of large residential mental retardation facilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation December, 344–351.
- Corrigan P. W. (1993) Staff stressors at a developmental centre and state hospital. Mental Retardation 31, 234–238.
- Dohrenwend B. S. & Dohrenwend B. P. (1985) Life stress and psychopathology. In: Preventing Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders (eds H. H. Goldman & S. E. Goldston), National Institute of Mental Health, Washington.
- Emerson E. & Hatton C. (1994) Moving Out: Relocation from Hospital to the Community. HMSO, London.
- Eysenck H. J. (1963) A short questionnaire for the measurement of two dimensions of personality. Eysenck Personality Inventory. University of London Press, London.
-
Eysenck H. J. &
Eysenck M. W. (1985) Personality and Individual Differences. A Natural Science Approach.
Plenum, London.
10.1007/978-1-4613-2413-3 Google Scholar
- Felce D., Lowe K. & Beswick J. (1993) Staff turnover in ordinary housing services for people with severe or profound mental handicaps. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 37, 143–152.
- Fletcher B. (1991) Work, Stress, Disease and Life Expectancy. Wiley, Chichester.
- Folkman S. & Lazarus R. S. (1985) If it changes it must be a process: study of emotion and coping during 3 stages of college examinations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 48 (1), 150–170.
- Ford J. & Honnor J. (2000) Job satisfaction of community residential staff serving individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability 25 (4), 343–362.
- Goldberg D. (1978) Manual of the GHQ. NFER-NELSON, Windsor.
- Goldberg D. & Williams P. (1988) A Users Guide to the General Health Questionnaire. NFER-NELSON, Windsor.
- Harris P. & Rose J. (2002) Measuring staff support in services for people with learning disability: the staff support and satisfaction questionnaire, Version 2. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 46, 151–157.
-
Harris P. &
Thomson G. (1993) The staff support questionnaire – a means of measuring support among staff working with people with challenging behavior.
Mental Handicap
21 (12), 122–127.
10.1111/j.1468-3156.1993.tb00712.x Google Scholar
- Hastings R. P. & Brown T. (2002) Coping strategies and the impact of challenging behaviors on special educators' burnout. Mental Retardation 40, 148–156.
- Hatton C. & Emerson E. (1993) Organisational predictors of staff stress, satisfaction, and intended staff turnover in a service for people with multiple disabilities. Mental Retardation Research 31 (6), 388–395.
- Hatton C. & Emerson E. (1995) The development of a shortened ‘Ways of Coping’ questionnaire for use with direct care staff in learning disability services. Mental Handicap Research 8, 237–251.
- Hatton C., Brown R., Caine A. & Emerson E. (1995) Stressors, coping strategies and stress related outcomes among direct care staff in staffed houses for people with learning disabilities. Mental Handicap Research 8 (4), 252–271.
- Hatton C., Emerson E., Rivers M., Mason H., Mason L., Swarbrick R., Kiernan C., Reeves D. & Alborz A. (1999) Factors associated with staff stress and work satisfaction in services for people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 43 (4), 253–267.
- Hill-Tout J. & Lowe C. (1995) A person specification for hands on care staff. Clinical Psychology Forum 79, 3–5.
- Jenkins R., Rose J. & Lovell C. (1997) The psychological well-being of staff working with people who have challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 41, 502–511.
- Kahn R. L., Wolfe D. M., Quinn R. P., Snoek J. D. & Rosenthal R. A. (1964) Organisational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. Wiley, London.
- Kline P. (1993) Personality – the Psychometric View. Routledge, London.
-
Lewis S. &
Harder D. (1988) Velten's mood induction technique: ‘real’ change and the effects of personality and sex on affect state.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
44, 441–444.
10.1002/1097-4679(198805)44:3<441::AID-JCLP2270440321>3.0.CO;2-D CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
- McCrae R. R. & Costa P. T. Jr (1986) Personality, coping, and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. Journal of Personality 54, 385–405.
- Meichenbaum D. (1985) Stress Inoculation Training. Pergamon Press, Oxford.
- Mitchell G. & Hastings R. P. (2001) Coping, burnout, and emotion in staff working in community services for people with challenging behaviors. American Journal on Mental Retardation 106, 448–459.
- Mullarkey S., Wall T., Warr P., Clegg C. & Stride C. (1999) Measures of Job Satisfaction, Mental Health and Job Related Well-Being: a Bench Marking Manual. Institute of Work Psychology, Sheffield.
- Parkes K. R. (1994) Personality and coping as moderators of work stress processes: models, methods and measures. Work and Stress 8 (2), 110–129.
- Payne R. (1988) Individual differences in the study of occupational stress. In: Causes, Coping and Consequences of Stress at Work (eds C. L. Cooper & R. Payne), Wiley and Son, Chichester.
- Power K. & Sharpe G. (1988) A comparison of sources of nursing stress and job satisfaction among mental handicap and hospice nursing staff. Journal of Advanced Nursing 13, 726–736.
-
Rose J. (1993) Stress and staff in residential settings: the move from hospital to the community.
Mental Handicap Research
6, 312–332.
10.1111/j.1468-3148.1993.tb00062.x Google Scholar
-
Rose J. (1997) Stress and stress management training.
Tizard Learning Disability Review
2 (1), 8–15.
10.1108/13595474199700002 Google Scholar
- Rose J. (1999) Demands, supports and residential staff: a factor analytic study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 43, 268–278.
-
Rose J. &
Schelewa-Davies D. (1997) The relationship between staff stress and team climate in residential services.
Journal of Learning Disabilities for Nursing, Health and Social Care
1 (1), 19–24.
10.1177/146900479700100104 Google Scholar
- Rose J., Jones F. & Fletcher B. (C.) (1998a) Investigating the relationship between stress and worker behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 42 (2), 163–172.
- Rose J., Jones F. & Fletcher B. (C.) (1998b) Stress management: the impact of an organisational intervention on staff well-being and performance at work. Work and Stress 12 (2), 112–124.
- Ross R. R. & Altmaier E. M. (1994) Intervention in Occupational Stress. Sage, London.
-
Stenfert Kroese K. B. &
Fleming I. (1992) Staff's attitudes and working conditions in community-based group homes of people with mental handicaps.
Mental Handicap Research
5 (1), 82–91.
10.1111/j.1468-3148.1992.tb00171.x Google Scholar
