Organizational Stressors, Burnout, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Local Government Employees During Disaster Response.

OBJECTIVE: Disaster response places organizational demands on public-sector employees. We examined associations between organizational stressors, burnout, and mental health outcomes among local government employees during the early post-disaster period. METHODS: We surveyed 140 employees involved in disaster response within three months of an aviation disaster and conducted multivariate linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Excessive workload, weak management systems, and interpersonal conflict were associated with higher burnout. Burnout was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms but not post-traumatic stress symptoms. Cynicism showed associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms, emotional exhaustion was associated with somatic symptoms, and professional efficacy did not show parallel associations with organizational stressors or mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout during early disaster response was characterized by exhaustion and cynicism rather than reduced professional efficacy, supporting the relevance of organizationally focused occupational health strategies.