Ethnic Differences in Burnout, Coping, and Intervention Acceptability Among Childcare Professionals

This study examined ethnic differences in burnout, coping strategies, and intervention acceptability in childcare professionals. Predictors of burnout also were examined. Participants were 131 (82 Caucasian-American (CA); 49 African-American (AA)) female childcare professionals. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE) Scale, and an intervention acceptability questionnaire. AA participants reported higher levels of depersonalization and emotional exhaustion than did CA participants. CA and AA participants reported using significantly different coping strategies. AAs also were more willing to engage in stress management interventions than were CAs. Finally, ethnicity was predictive of depersonalization, whereas coping strategies were predictive of all three components of burnout.