Reducing Burnout among Building Construction and Mechanical Trade Artisans: The Role of Rational Emotive Behaviour Intervention

Personal, work and even client-related burnout are highly predominant among artisans and linked to their stress-related experiences. The present study aimed to ascertain the efficacy of a rational emotive behaviour therapy program in reducing burnout among building construction and mechanical trade artisans, using a randomized controlled trial design. One hundred and twenty-five building construction and mechanical trade artisans randomly assigned to either a treatment intervention or no-intervention group participated in the study. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was administered to participants at Time 1 (pretest), Time 2 (posttest), and Time 3 (follow-up). Results of repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated a significant reduction in mean burnout among artisans in the treatment group after the 10-week REBT program. In contrast, the control group did not experience any significant mean burnout reduction. Furthermore, at follow-up, the mean decrease in burnout score among artisans in the treatment group was significantly maintained. In conclusion, the rational emotive behaviour intervention significantly reduced the burnout score of building construction and mechanical trade artisans and sustained it.