An exploration of burnout in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

• Main Author: Scott, Crystyn
• Published: University of the West of England, Bristol 2018
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.759735

Background: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services are a provision of care characterised by high workloads and high turnover which can mean high levels of burnout. Within the IAPT workforce, research shows that two-thirds of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and half of the High-Intensity therapists, experience higher levels of emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization than seen within the mental health workforce. There are implications for the clients, therapists, and organisations where persons are affected by burnout. Aims: The objective of this research was to explore participants’ experiences of burnout and work-related stress in IAPT services which included the components of burnout, emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). Method: Semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) were used for data collection and analysis respectively, as they were the most appropriate for understanding individual’s experiences from their own perspectives. Therapists from two IAPT teams in the South West were invited to participate. Results: Analysis revealed three major themes: Therapist Wellbeing, Caseload Challenges and Organisational Support, each with subthemes. Participating therapists discussed their experiences of high caseloads and complex client presentations. They shared their experiences of emotional, mental and physical effects on their wellbeing and expressed the need for more space and time for reflection and supervision. Conclusion: There are potential implications for maintaining the workforce. The insights shared by these ten individuals can contribute to an informed process of change that can help reduce the experience of burnout.