Skip to main content
Log in

Brief Report: Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals in Rome, Italy

  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although various surveys on job satisfaction have been performed in mental health care settings, no studies have investigated in-depth the level of satisfaction with the various aspects of work in Italian mental health services. In the present study, all clinical mental health staff working in a large psychiatric catchment area in Rome were invited to anonymously complete a previously validated questionnaire designed to measure job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Of the total 236 health professionals, 196 (83%) agreed to participate. Most participants were not completely satisfied with many aspects of their job, and many were not even moderately satisfied. The level of satisfaction increased with age, and it was significantly lower among hospital-ward staff compared to the staff of outpatient clinics or residential facilities, even after adjusting for age, gender, profession, work setting, and time in current job, using a multiple logistic regression model. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing job satisfaction among Italian mental health professionals might be warranted, particularly among hospital-ward staff.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Bhatara, V.S., Fuller, W.C., O'Connor-Davis, L., & Misra, L.K. (1996). Improving job satisfaction of rural South Dakota mental health providers through education: a pilot study. South Dakota Journal of Medicine, 49, 93-96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnard, P., Morrison, P., & Phillips, C. (1999). Job satisfaction amongst nurses in an interim secure forensic unit in Wales. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 8, 9-18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherniss, C., & Egnatios, E. (1978). Is there job satisfaction in community mental health? Community Mental Health Journal, 14, 309-318.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Girolamo, G., & Cozza, M. (2000). The Italian psychiatric reform: a 20-year perspective. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 23, 197-214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gigantesco, A., Picardi, A., Chiaia, E., Balbi, A., Ciavarella, M.A., Purpura, M., & Morosini, P. (2002). Sviluppo, validazione e primo impiego di uno strumento per la valutazione del livello di soddisfazione degli operatori dei Dipartimenti di Salute Mentale. Giornale Italiano di Psicopatologia, 8, 24-28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiscott, R.D., & Connop, P.J. (1990). The health and wellbeing of mental health professionals. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 81, 422-426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kushnir, T., Cohen, A.H.,& Kitai, E. (2000). Continuing medical education and primary physicians' job stress, burnout and dissatisfaction. Medical Education, 34, 430-436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marriott, A., Sexton, L., & Staley, D. (1994). Components of job satisfaction in psychiatric social workers. Health & Social Work, 19, 199-205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, E., Ball, R.A., & Kuipers, L. (1992). Expressed emotion in staff working with the longterm adult mentally ill. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 802-808.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, N., & Kuipers, E. (1996). Stress and its relationship to expressed emotion in community mental health workers. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 42, 150-159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Onyett, S., Pillenger, T., & Muijen, M. (1997). Job satisfaction and burnout among members of community mental health teams. Journal of Mental Health, 6, 55-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pines, A., & Maslach, C. (1977). Characteristics of staff burnout in mental health settings. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 29, 233-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser, D., Johnson, S., Kuipers, E., Dunn, G., Szmukler, G., Reid, Y., Bebbington, P., & Thornicroft, G. (1999). Mental health, “burnout” and job satisfaction in a longitudinal study of mental health staff. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 34, 295-300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser, D., Johnson, S., Kuipers, E., Szmukler, G., Bebbington, P., & Thornicroft, G. (1996). Mental health, “burnout” and job satisfaction among hospital and community-based mental health staff. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 334-337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser, D., Johnson, S., Kuipers, E., Szmukler, G., Bebbington, P., & Thornicroft, G. (1997). Perceived sources of work stress and satisfaction among hospital and community mental health staff, and their relation to mental health, burnout and job satisfaction. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 43, 51-59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranz, J., Stueve, A., & McQuistion, H.L. (2001). The role of the psychiatrist: job satisfaction of medical directors and staff psychiatrists. Community Mental Health Journal, 37, 525-539.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, Y., Johnson, S., Morant, N., Kuipers, E., Szmukler, G., Thornicroft, G., Bebbington, P., & Prosser, D. (1999). Explanations for stress and satisfaction in mental health professionals: a qualitative study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 34, 301-308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saindon-Larose, D.,& Rainville, T. (1993). La satisfaction au travail des infirmieres psychiatriques. Canadian Nurse, 89, 47-50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaccaro, J.V., & Clark, G.H. Jr. (1987). A profile of community mental health center psychiatrists: results of a national survey. Community Mental Health Journal, 23, 282-289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vicente, B., Vielma, M., Jenner, F.A., Mezzina, R., & Lliapas, I. (1993). Attitudes of professional mental health workers to psychiatry. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 39, 131-141.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonella Gigantesco.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gigantesco, A., Picardi, A., Chiaia, E. et al. Brief Report: Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals in Rome, Italy. Community Ment Health J 39, 349–355 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024076209376

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024076209376

Navigation