Abstract
Limited literature focuses on the demands/stressors experienced by mental health providers (MHPs) who treat clients with a serious mental illness (SMI), and how this impacts them, including the quality of care they provide. This study evaluated relationships between two types of stigma (associative stigma and MHP stigma) and two facets of burnout (exhaustion and disengagement) among a sample of 117 MHPs who work with clients with a SMI. It was hypothesized that both facets of burnout mediate the relationship between associative stigma and MHP stigma. The impact of associative stigma, burnout, and MHP stigma on indicators of the quality of care, namely, the working alliance, empathy, and client engagement was also explored. Data were analyzed using linear and hierarchical regression and correlation. Results revealed significant relationships between types of stigma and burnout (associative stigma and exhaustion, b = .015, p = .013; and MHP stigma and disengagement, b = .052, p = .022). A significant relationship was not identified between associative stigma and MHP stigma, therefore mediation analysis could not be performed. Significant relationships were found between MHP stigma and all three quality of care indicator variables, whereas, associative stigma and exhaustion were only significantly related to client engagement and disengagement was significantly related to the working alliance. Findings from this study enhance knowledge about relationships between stigma and burnout and resulting impacts on quality of care, as well as highlight important areas for intervention at the provider level to reduce experienced stressors and decrease the stigma of mental illness.