--- title: "Clinical summary: Clinician Burnout Reduces the Effectiveness of Treatment for PTSD" description: The director of the Psychotherapy Practice Research Network (PPRNet) is Dr. Giorgio Tasca. Dr. Tasca is an Associate Professor with the School of Psychology, in the Faculty of Social, University of Ottawa. His research focus is on psychotherapy process, mechanisms of change, and outcomes, as well as eating disorders. image: https://collabzium.com/hubfs/George%20Tasca-2.jpg --- [![FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR](https://collabzium.com/hubfs/FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR.svg "FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR")](https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/) [![Collabzium](https://collabzium.com/hubfs/CollabziumLogoEnglish(Name)-COLOUR.svg "Collabzium")](https://collabzium.com/) - Articles - [Collabzium Guide](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/collabzium-guide) - [All articles](https://collabzium.com/en/articles) - Research - [Chairs and Labs](https://collabzium.com/en/chair-and-labs) - [About](https://collabzium.com/collabcrew) [Subscribe](https://20500402.hubspotpagebuilder.com/subscribe-now) [Subscribe](https://20500402.hubspotpagebuilder.com/subscribe-now) [PPRNET](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/tag/pprnet) # Clinical summary: Clinician Burnout Reduces the Effectiveness of Treatment for PTSD [Dr. Giorgio Tasca](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/dr-giorgio-tasca) calendar icon May 28, 2024 · Reading time 2 min read [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) Burnout among mental health professionals is a problem that is [well-documented](http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2207252) and may affect staffing shortages and patient outcomes. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization or cynicism about the work, and a lack of competency or self-efficacy. Burnout can likely affect the quality of care that professionals provide. This may be particularly evident in psychotherapy where clinician empathy and engagement are key to therapeutic success. Although there are several [surveys](http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0544-6) of psychotherapist burnout, surprisingly there is little research on patient outcomes associated with burnout of mental health professionals. In this prospective study, Sayer and colleagues examined treatment outcomes associated with burnout among psychotherapists providing trauma-focused therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military personnel in the US. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the US has widely adopted cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) for the treatment of PTSD. These treatments were manualized protocols of relatively brief therapies that lasted between 8 to 15 sessions. Therapists were experienced psychologists or social workers. Of the 165 therapists in the study, 35.2% reported burnout. Of the 1258 patients treated by all therapists in the study, 34% achieved clinically meaningful improvement. That is, about two-thirds of patients did not benefit from either CPT or PE and 46.3% of the patients dropped out of the therapies. On average, therapists were very adherent to the treatment manual, but adherence was not associated with clinically meaningful improvement in their patients (OR, 1.09; 95%CI, 0.95-1.25; P = .22). Therapist burnout was not associated with patient dropout (OR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.78-1.24; P = .88) or adherence to the manual (OR, 0.95; 95%CI, 0.68-1.34; P = .76). However, compared to those who did not report burnout, therapists who reported burnout had fewer patients who experienced clinically meaningful improvement (OR, 0.63; 95%CI, 0.48-0.85; P = .002). That is, 36.8% of patients improved if they saw a therapist who did not report burnout, whereas 28.3% of patients improved if they saw a therapist who did report burnout. ### Practice Implications Therapists who are emotionally worn out may have a reduced capacity to demonstrate empathy, form a therapeutic alliance, or be present and engaged with patients who are suffering. Therapists and the agencies they work for may need to [manage](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538330/) their caseloads carefully so that therapists have a case mix that is not overloaded with emotionally challenging content. Therapists also tend to do better when they have control and flexibility over their work and experience a sense of support and collegiality in the workplace. Beyond that, therapists should take enough time to care for themselves outside of the work environment and seek social support, and personal therapy if the content of their work triggers difficult emotional responses. > Sayer, N.A., Kaplan, A., Nelson, D.B., Stirman, S.W., & Rosen, C.S. (2024). Clinician burnout and effectiveness of guideline-recommended psychotherapies. JAMA Network Open, 7(4):e246858. doi:[10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.6858](https://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.6858&utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jamanetworkopen.2024.6858) To learn more about the Psychotherapy Practice Research Network, visit [www.pprnet.ca](https://collabzium.com/en/psychotherapy-practice-research-network). calendar icon May 28, 2024 · Reading time 2 min read [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) --- ### [By Dr. Giorgio Tasca](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/dr-giorgio-tasca) The director of the Psychotherapy Practice Research Network (PPRNet) is Dr. Giorgio Tasca. Dr. Tasca is an Associate Professor with the School of Psychology, in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa. His research is centered around psychotherapy process, mechanisms of change, and outcomes, as well as eating disorders. ## Also Read - [PPRNet Clinical summary: Long-Term Effects of Psychotherapies for Depression](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/pprnet-clinical-summary-long-term-effects-of-psychotherapies-for-depression) - [PPRNet Clinical summary: Self-Compassion as a Protective Factor Against Burnout in Psychologists](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/pprnet-clinical-summary-self-compassion-as-a-protective-factor-against-burnout-in-psychologists) - [PPRNet Clinical summary: The Therapeutic Alliance in Internet-Based Interventions](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/pprnet-clinical-summary-1.-the-therapeutic-alliance-in-internet-based-interventions) - [PPRNet Clinical summary: What Do Individuals With Borderline Personalities Want From Treatment?](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/pprnet-clinical-summary-what-do-individuals-with-borderline-personalities-want-from-treatment) #### RELATED NEWS ![PPRNet Clinical summary: Are Therapists Less Skillful in Teletherapy Than In-Person Therapy?](https://collabzium.com/hs-fs/hubfs/iStock-1206150255-1.jpg?width=600&name=iStock-1206150255-1.jpg) [PPRNET](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/tag/pprnet) ## [PPRNet Clinical summary: Are Therapists Less Skillful in Teletherapy Than In-Person Therapy?](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/clinical-summary-which-patients-benefit-most-from-being-matched-to-a-therapist-0-3-1-0-1-2-0-0-0-1-1-2-1-1-0) There is sufficient evidence that providing psychotherapy by videoconferencing is likely[as...](https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcps0000056&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ME6X6BfF69dRthSRracMtbBgOi2NYMJSO5epZ_kqR7-KkHBAuBIJoHTwlV_rbeoq6ywzu-mUrhy1_Tz_FzJiKWSVL0g&_hsmi=2) Jun 04, 2025Reading time 2 min read ![PPRNet Clinical summary: Therapists’ Professional Self-Doubt](https://collabzium.com/hs-fs/hubfs/iStock-1206150255-1.jpg?width=600&name=iStock-1206150255-1.jpg) [PPRNET](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/tag/pprnet) ## [PPRNet Clinical summary: Therapists’ Professional Self-Doubt](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/pprnet-clinical-summary-therapists-professional-self-doubt) About 6% of patient outcomes can be attributed to [therapist factors](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-81510-009?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_tjqzkXhzyzZRlo56a3fM2ElMke0vbfkdleTk6CHUV0TU2UE8JY0gk5Z_b1N904Re01sgLBfTnJsNEXmyEwiow6BG9yw&_hsmi=2) (their self-concept, coping... 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Jul 15, 2024Reading time 2 min read ![Collabzium Logo in White](https://collabzium.com/hubfs/Brand%20Images/Brand%20-%20Faculty%20of%20Social%20Sciences/CollabziumLogoEnglish(Icon)-WHITE.svg)   ##### CONTACT 120 University Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada [Contact Us](mailto:collabz@uottawa.ca) ##### [AI CONTENT CREATION POLICY](https://collabzium.com/ai-artificial-intelligence-content-creation-policy-for-collabzium) ##### ##### SUBSCRIBE TO COLLABZIUM Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to the Collabzium email list for updates, news, and more! [SUBSCRIBE](https://20500402.hubspotpagebuilder.com/subscribe-now) --- © 2026 COLLABZIUM [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/collabzium/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://youtube.com/@Collabzium) ↑