Burnout and Intimacy in Health-Care Providers

The predominant model of burnout raises three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (D) and (lack of) personal accomplishment (PA). To date, contextual behavioral approaches have not focused on the role of interpersonal variables of intimacy, as suggested by the Awareness, Courage and Love (ACL) model of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, while considering the mediating function of variables such as psychological flexibility and organizational climate. In this study, 120 Spanish health workers completed a survey study to explore the relationships between Burnout (MBI-HSS), Intimacy (ACRS), Psychological Flexibility (WAAQ), and Organizational Climate (CLIOR-S). The results indicated that Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization were predicted to some extent by Others-Awareness and Responsiveness, mediated by Organizational Climate. In the case of Personal Accomplishment, in addition to the above variables, Courage also plays a role as a predictor, and Psychological Flexibility as a mediator. Studies in this line can improve our knowledge about the role that interpersonal variables, understood from a contextual behavioral perspective, would have to improve interventions that aim to reduce burnout in health professionals.