What helps mental health practitioners stay well at work?

Our research explores exhaustion, racism and the workplace support practitioners need to provide culturally responsive care.

Explore the findings ↘ Download summary ↓

Authors
Nasalifya Namwinga · Samerawit Molla · Thandie Mketwa · Karen Farquharson · Roisin McNaney

The study at a glance

Three findings worth understanding

These figures describe the analysed survey sample of 128 Australian mental health therapists. They are not estimates for every practitioner in Australia.

88%

reached the study’s warning level for high exhaustion.

41%

reported experiencing or witnessing workplace racism or discrimination.

86% vs 28%

of racialised and non-racialised respondents reported exposure among those giving a clear yes or no answer.

The measures indicate signs of burnout, not a clinical diagnosis. The group comparison uses clear yes or no responses.

Behind the numbers

The workplace around the practitioner matters

Open a finding to read more context from the survey.

01 · Exhaustion

Still caring, deeply depleted

Exhaustion was more common than feeling disconnected from work.

Sixty-five per cent reached a warning level for disengagement; 61% reached both thresholds. Many practitioners appeared to remain committed to their work while feeling worn down.

02 · Unequal exposure

Racism in the workplace

Racialised practitioners reported experiencing or witnessing racism or discrimination far more often.

Among clear yes or no answers, the figures were 86% and 28%. The question combined personal experience and witnessing an event.

03 · Workplace support

Support is a resource

More support at work was associated with less burnout, including burnout linked to client work.

Support was also linked with better access to cultural resources and supervision. The cross-sectional survey does not establish cause.

Putting evidence to work

What can workplaces do?

The findings give organisations practical conditions to examine with their staff.

01 Make workloads realistic and allow time to do the work well.
02 Offer supervision where practitioners can safely explore how culture, identity, racism and power shape their experiences at work.
03 Provide cultural training, resources and consultation.
04 Respond safely and fairly when discrimination is raised.

For researchers

Study details and limitations

The accessible account above is paired with a transparent description of the sample, measures and scope of inference.

Who took part?

The public summaries report on 128 Australian mental health therapists in the analysed survey sample. This is distinct from broader initial survey recruitment figures reported elsewhere.

What did the survey examine?

Established measures assessed exhaustion, disengagement and client-related burnout. Questions also covered workplace support, cultural resources and supervision, and experiencing or witnessing racism or discrimination.

How was the group comparison made?

Participants described ethnic and cultural identity in their own words. These responses were grouped as racialised or non-racialised for broad comparison; four unclear responses were not grouped. The 86% versus 28% comparison uses clear yes or no answers.

What are the limitations?

This cross-sectional, non-random survey cannot establish cause or describe every Australian practitioner. Identity categories cannot capture the full complexity of people’s experiences.

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