The relationship between trust in work colleagues, impact of boundary violations and burnout among staff within a forensic psychiatric service
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between trust and burnout among mental health professionals working within a forensic psychiatric setting. The association between these factors and boundary violations was also examined. Design/methodology/approach Mental health professionals (n=117) completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a measure of their trust in co workers. A series of 12 vignettes was also designed to assess the frequency and impact of boundary violations by clients. Findings Propensity to trust was found to be predictive of personal accomplishment. A higher propensity to trust others was associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. It was also associated with greater cooperative behaviour. Higher frequency of boundary violations reported by professionals was associated with lower levels of perceived trust and cooperative behaviours among colleagues, and increased depersonalisation. In addition, professionals reporting more of