ORIGINAL PAPER
Work locus of control and burnout in Polish physiotherapists: The mediating effect of coping styles
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1
State School of Higher Professional Education, Konin, Poland
(Department of Physiotherapy and Health Knowledge)
2
University School of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland
(Department of Physical Education, Sport and Rehabilitation)
Corresponding author
Maciej Wilski
State School of Higher Professional Education, Department of Physiotherapy and Health Knowledge, ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki 4,
62-510 Konin, Poland
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2015;28(5):875-89
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of this study was to explain the relationship between work locus of control and burnout in Polish
physiotherapists through the mediation of coping styles. In particular, we hypothesized that external work locus of control
may have a positive direct relationship with burnout symptoms via positive relationship with emotion-focused and avoidant
coping styles, and a negative relationship with problem-focused style. Material and Methods: We tested the mediational
hypothesis using structural equation modeling of self-report data from 155 Polish physiotherapists. Results: The relationship
between external work locus of control and physiotherapists’ burnout was shown to be mediated by a positive relationship
with emotion-focused coping and an inverse relationship with problem-focused coping. The variables included in
the model explained about 15% of the variance of emotional exhaustion, 14% of depersonalization, and 14% of personal
accomplishment. Conclusions: Physiotherapists perceiving the situation as difficult to control, feel more burned out when
they use more emotion-focused strategies, and less problem-focused strategies. This indicates the importance of including
both, problem-focused coping training and increasing the perception of the situation controllability in preventing physiotherapists’
burnout programs.