A Study on Protective Factors Against Burnout Among Rehabilitation Counselors Placed in Facilities and Worksites

The purpose of this study was, by applying the qualitative research methods, to investigate the protection factors of burnout in rehabilitation counselors for the disabled. The subjects were 10 disabled rehabilitation counselors with more than 3 years of rehabilitation counseling experience, and the data were collected from October 2023 to February 2024 through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. According to the results of data analysis, 41 themes were derived related to protection factors of burnout, which were, on the basis of the similarities, grouped into 17 sub-categories and five categories. The authors named the five categories for the protection factors of burnout experienced by rehabilitation counselors: reward by the institution, improvement of professionalism, enhancement of internal capacity. support and recognition, and various activities. This study examined the the protection factors of burnout in rehabilitation counselors for the disabled, and based on the results, discussed practical implications.