Job satisfaction and burnout among peer support specialists: the contributions of supervisory mentorship, recovery-oriented workplaces, and role clarity

ABSTRACT Objective This study evaluated whether supervisory mentorship contributed to peer support specialists’ job satisfaction and burnout via pathways of role clarity and psychological empowerment after accounting for effects of demographic and workplace characteristics. The study also evaluated whether the recovery-orientation of the workplace contributed to peers’ job satisfaction and burnout. Method Peer support specialists from the United States (N = 117) completed an online questionnaire containing established self-report measures and questions about demographic and workplace characteristics. Results Multiple regression analysis indicated the included variables accounted for 61.9% of variance (p < .001) in job satisfaction and that mentoring from supervisors and a recovery-oriented workplace significantly (ps < .05) predicted job satisfaction. In a second multiple regression analysis, included variables accounted for 28.7% of variance (p < .01) in emotional exhaustion (the emotional component of burnout), where role clarity significantly (p < .05) predicted less emotional exhaustion. Mediation analyses of the cross-sectional data did not support the hypothesis that aspects of the supervisory relationship contributed to job satisfaction and burnout through role clarity and psychological empowerment. Discussion Mentoring from supervisors and the recovery-orientation of the workplace contribute to peers’ job satisfaction after accounting for factors, including role clarity and supervisory working alliance. Improving supervisors’ mentoring skills and adopting a recovery-orientation in mental health settings may bolster peers’ job satisfaction. Increasing peers’ role clarity may reduce burnout. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify associations between factors that may facilitate role clarity and mitigate burnout among peers.