The Relationship Between Stress and Leisure Satisfaction Among Therapeutic Recreation Personnel

Authors

  • Peter H Cunningham
  • Terri Bartuska

Keywords:

Occupational Stress, Leisure Satisfaction, Therapeutic Recreators, Coping

Abstract

Previous research has documented the existence of maladaptive levels of stress among persons employed in various professions. High levels of stress as a precursor of burnout for certain professions also has been found. Enjoyable or effective leisure as a productive coping strategy for dealing with stress has also received increasing attention in the literature. In order to test the hypothesis that a relationship exists between the levels of stress experienced by persons employed in the delivery of therapeutic recreation services  and their levels o leisure satisfaction, a study was conducted which measured stress and leisure satisfaction among a group of persons employed in therapeutic recreation positions in the southern United States. It was found that Therapeutic Recreators experience stress as a result of their occupational duties.. It was also found that a significant relationship exists between levels of stress and levels of leisure satisfaction.  Persons with higher levels of leisure satisfaction experienced less stress than persons who have low satisfaction with their leisure.

Published

1989-07-01

Issue

Section

Research Papers