Relationship Between Employee Trust and Intrinsic Motivation and Employee Turnover Intention

Mental health managers are concerned with turnover because it affects employees, mental health programs, and patients. Drawing upon self-determination theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if employee trust in leadership and intrinsic motivation were correlated to and, thus, predict turnover intention within the mental health field in Northeast Florida. Data were collected from 100 current mental health managers in middle management and below in Northeast Florida through psychologically valid questionnaires. The results of the stepwise multiple linear regression were not significant. A key recommendation is for managers to prioritize employee well-being for organizations in the mental health field. The implications for positive social change include the potential for mental health managers to foster a supportive work environment, benefiting individual providers through stress reduction and enhanced job satisfaction while positively impacting the organization and the broader community.