The Relationships between Problem-Solving, Creativity, and Job Burnout in Iranian Occupational Therapists

Cognitive resources are assumed to have the potential to buffer the negative influence of job demands. In this study, the relationship between burnout, a consequence of job demands, and cognitive resources of problem-solving and creativity was investigated. There were 50 occupational therapists that completed three standardized instruments assessing problem-solving, creativity, and burnout. Using multiple regression analysis and the Independent-Samples t-test to analyze the data, results showed that cognitive resources were inversely associated with burnout R2 = 0.38, F (4, 45) = 6.94, p < 0.001 and comparison analysis showed significant differences in creativity between males and females (p = 0.04). Significant positive correlations were also found between creativity and working experience whereby higher levels of creativity associated with more working years. Problem-solving and creativity require attention in occupational therapy because they may mitigate against burnout as the consequence of job demands. A possible implication would be the necessity of empowering occupational therapists’ cognitive resources.