Work Stress and Professional Identity in Clinical Psychologist and the Effects on Mental Health, Intentions of Turnover and Profession Change

• Main Authors: Cheng-Ju, 張錚如
• Other Authors: Shu-Ling Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/74525200732915639123

碩士 === 中山醫學大學 === 心理學系暨臨床心理學碩士班 === 98 === It has been evidenced that work stress and professional identity are associated with work performance, mental health and intentions of turnover and profession change. However, there has been a dearth of research on work stress and professional identity among clinical psychologists in Taiwan. The purposes of this study were to investigate work stress and professional identity among clinical psychologist and to explore their effects on mental health, intentions of turnover and profession change. A cross-sectional research method was employed. An E-questionnaire was used to collect data. The email for participant recruiting was sent to all clinical psychologists by local clinical psychologist associations. The related message was posted on the website of Association of Taiwan Clinical Psychologist (ATCP) as well. A total of 139 questionnaires were successfully collected, deriving a response rate of 20.5%. Data were analyzed by the SPSS for Window 12.0 system. The results showed the average of clinical psychologists’ work stress was at a moderate level. The main stressors were “workload”, “lack of resources” and “organizational structure and processes”. Clinical psychologists who were with less working years and full-time workers reported more stress than those with higher working years and part-time workers. Institutional type showed differences on work stressors. Clinical psychologists working in “psychiatric hospital” reported higher stress on “relationships and conflicts with other professionals” than those who work in “other institutions”. Those who worked in “general hospital” perceived more stress on “lack of resources” and “professional self-doubt”. The average of clinical psychologists’ professional identity was above moderate level. Work-related variables (e.g. working year, institutional type, employed type) did not have any significant effect on the level of professional identity. The results showed that work stress and professional identity had significant relations with mental health. Those indicated higher work stress and lower level of professional identity reported poorer mental health. Both work stress and professional identity had significant effects on intention of turnover, but only professional identity had a significant effect on intention of profession change. Work stress and professional identity are not only associated with clinical psychologists’ mental health, but also linked with their intention of turnover. Administrators should pay attention on the workload of clinical psychologists to maintain clinical psychologists’ mental health and stabilize clinical psychologists’ workforces. Professional identity is an important factor associated with clinical psychologists’ intention of profession change; further studies are recommended to clarify the forming process and the related factors of professional identity in clinical psychologist.