The impact of NHS change processes on art therapists working in LD services

Abstract

The impact of working as art therapists in the NHS during protracted change processes, with people with learning disabilities (LD), was investigated in a qualitative heuristic doctoral study (Ashby, Citation2018), which considered concerns about emotional exhaustion and reduced efficacy, symptoms of burnout (Maslach, Citation1982), as a result of occupational stress. The researcher’s own data was examined, and 15 art therapists employed by NHS Trusts across England were interviewed. This article explores how the research was conducted, its findings related to LD services in the NHS and wider employment issues, and addresses how the findings are relevant to all art therapists. Most burnout studies are quantitative and consider workplace sources of occupational stress, but this qualitative research importantly revealed how crucial personal sources of support and stress were in terms of aiding or reducing clinicians’ capacities to cope. There was evidence of job satisfaction, resilience, and personal growth developed over years of practice, and high levels of stress resulted in symptoms of burnout in some participants, but recovery was shown to be possible.