Influences of art therapists’ self-efficacy and stress coping strategies on burnout

•This study is to investigate the effects of therapists’ self-efficacy and stress coping strategies on burnout.•There were significant correlations among self-efficacy, stress coping strategies and burnout.•The supervision, self-efficacy and emotion-relieving coping strategy were significantly influenced on burnout.

This study investigated the effects of therapists’ self-efficacy and stress coping strategies on burnout. 140 art therapists with at least one year of professional experience completed a questionnaire designed to examine participants’ professional characteristics along with measures of burnout, self-efficacy and stress coping strategies. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicated that art therapists had low-level burnout and moderate- or high-level self-efficacy. Seeking social support coping was most commonly used stress coping strategy. There were significant correlations among art therapists’ professional characteristics, self-efficacy, stress coping strategies and burnout. The overall burnout of art therapists was influenced by supervision, self-efficacy, and emotion-relieving coping strategy. The three sub-factors of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction in sense of personal achievement were significantly influenced by supervision and emotion-relieving coping strategies.