Morale and job perception of community mental health professionals in Berlin and London

Assessing morale in psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses and social workers in community mental health care in Berlin and London revealed general as well as specific aspects of the job perception of the professional groups, some of which may be relevant for service development, training and supervision.

Abstract

Burnout remains a problem for some, but not all, professional groups in community mental health care, and social workers in London appear to be a group with particularly low morale. Differences between professional groups depend on the location, and it remains unclear to what extent job-related and general factors impact on the morale of mental health professionals. Answers to open questions reveal general as well as specific aspects of the job perception of the professional groups, some of which may be relevant for service development, training and supervision. More conceptual and methodological work and more extensive studies are required to develop a better understanding of how community mental health professionals perceive their job and how morale may be improved.