The Relationship of Occupational Stress, Psychological Strain, and Coping Resources to the Turnover Intentions of Rehabilitation Counselors

Abstract

The Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R) and an Individual Data Form were used to determine the turnover intentions of rehabilitation counselors based on an interactive model of stress, strain, and coping. Occupational stress, strain, coping resources, and turnover intentions were examined in relationship with various demographic variables collected from a national sample of 982 members of the American Rehabilitation Counselors Association (ARCA). Demographic variables included age, gender, ethnicity, certification status as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), years of experience, practice setting, the number of clients on a counselor's caseload, and the amount of hours worked per week.

Data were collected through a mail survey, with a response rate of 67% (N = 657). However, of those respondents only 22% (N=145) had complete data and met the inclusion criteria. Inclusion criterion consisted of considering oneself to be employed full-time as a practicing rehabilitation counselor. Based on the usable data (N=145), respondents were on average 44 years old and Caucasian, with 63% being female. Over half of the respondents were certified as rehabilitation counselors, with an average number of nine years of certification. The average number of years of experience as a rehabilitation counselor was approximately ten and respondents worked an average of 45 hours per week with an average caseload size of 88 clients.

Path analysis was used to analyze causal relationships among turnover related variables. The hypothesized model included age, experience, number of clients on a caseload, occupational stress, strain, coping resources, and turnover intention. The tested model explained 37.5% of the variance in turnover intentions. The results suggest that the turnover intentions of rehabilitation counselors is meaningfully accounted for by variables contained in the model. Occupational stress produced the largest significant effect (B=.404) and had the most influence on turnover intentions. This indicates that it is occupational stress inherent in the job functions of rehabilitation counselors, and not individual coping resources or demographic variables that account for turnover in the field of rehabilitation. Therefore rehabilitation agencies should examine the roles that they place rehabilitation counselors in versus the individual characteristics of rehabilitation counselors in order to reduce turnover in the field.