First Advisor

Hulac, David M.

First Committee Member

Kriescher, Stephanie

Second Committee Member

Jameson, Molly M.

Third Committee Member

Lyons, Jeri-Anne

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

8-2025

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, School Psychology, School Psychology Student Work

Abstract

Amidst growing awareness of burnout among school psychologists, self-care has been suggested as an essential practice for managing the emotionally and psychologically taxing elements of the job. Indeed, self-care has been included in the American Psychological Association’s list of professional competencies for health service psychologists (HSPs) in training. Mitigating burnout is an important objective, however, the current conceptualization of burnout as a problem that can be managed by an individual alone is inaccurate. Rather, burnout is a product of an occupational system in which job demands outweigh job resources. Furthermore, burnout can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression. While self-care may be a valuable personal resource for managing stressors, it should not be considered a sufficient single strategy to manage burnout. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between burnout, internalizing symptoms, and self-care. The following research questions were addressed in a moderation analysis of self-report data from school psychology graduate students (n = 299) across the United States of America:

Q1 How are burnout and depression and anxiety symptoms related?

Q2 Are burnout and self-care related?

Q3 Does self-care moderate the relationship between burnout and depression and anxiety?

Higher levels of burnout predicted higher symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, higher self-care was associated with lower burnout. Finally, self-care moderated the relationship between burnout and depression symptoms but not between burnout and anxiety symptoms. Implications of these findings for trainers and trainees in school psychology and directions for further inquiry are discussed.

Abstract Format

html

Places

Greeley, Colorado

Extent

119 pages

Local Identifiers

Ryan_unco_0161D_11370.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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