Emotional Labour in Healthcare: A Targeted Intervention for Burnout Management
East Metropolitan Health Service
$14,850
Coordinating Principal Investigator: Dr James Clarke
Co-Investigators: Dr Anthony Joffe, Prof Peter McEvoy, Dr Kate Tonta
Clinician burnout is a growing burden on healthcare services. A new research project at Royal Perth Hospital led by Doctor James Clarke and funded by RPH Research Foundation aims to address it directly.
Studies estimate that up to 80% of healthcare workers experience symptoms of burnout, which is associated with reduced mental health, job satisfaction, and wellbeing. Burnout also impacts organisational outcomes and can contribute to increased clinical errors, reduced performance, and higher staff turnover.
Participants for this study will be recruited across East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) and will attend a group-based intervention comprised of four short sessions. The intervention titled the “Skills for Emotional Labour in Healthcare” (SELiH) program will be developed based on emotional labour management, empirical research, and broad multimodal cognitive behaviour therapy principles. Each session will focus on a different aspect of emotional labour management. The program will be evaluated using pre- and post-intervention data, with a follow-up session to assess ongoing impact.
If shown to be effective, the program may be integrated into broader staff wellbeing initiatives across EMHS and further developed into an online course for broader access. This research directly aligns with EMHS priorities to support staff wellbeing, improve performance, and promote retention.
By building evidence for a practical, scalable intervention, this project takes an important step toward addressing clinician burnout — delivering benefits for staff, patients and the wider healthcare system.