Job Satisfaction in Direct Support Professionals: Associations with Self-Efficacy and Perspective-Taking

Direct support professionals (DSPs) play a vital role in supporting and sustaining the life qualities of individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs). The occupation is often challenging due to a multitude of workplace deficiencies and certain challenging behaviors associated with DDs. The demanding nature of job duties can cause compromised job satisfaction in DSPs, which in turn potentially undermines the quality of care they provide to individuals with DDs. The literature is limited addressing how psychosocial factors relate to job satisfaction specifically in DSPs. The present study examined self-efficacy as a psychosocial correlate for job satisfaction in DSPs and how one’s disposition for perspective-taking functioned as a moderator for the relationship between self-efficacy and job satisfaction. A sample of 133 DSPs responded to self-report measures for self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and perspective-taking. The results of multivariate regression indicated a positive relation between self-efficacy and intrinsic job satisfaction in DSPs, and the relation strengthened as the level of perspective-taking increased, suggesting a moderating role of perspective-taking in DSPs. The findings provide insights for targeting psychosocial correlates as an important element in training programs aimed at improving intrinsic satisfaction in DSPs.