The Contribution of Role Appraisal, Organizational Justice, Supervisor Support, Self-Efficacy, and Spirituality to Employees’ Turnover in Community Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Israel

The field of psychiatric rehabilitation in the community in Israel has undergone significant development since the enactment of the Rehabilitation of the Mentally Disabled in the Community Law (2000). This law marked a fundamental shift from an institutional–medical model to a community-based rehabilitation model that emphasizes the right of individuals with mental disabilities to live independent, equal, and meaningful lives within society. Following the law’s implementation, the “Rehabilitation Basket” services were established and are operated by private organizations under the supervision and funding of the Ministry of Health. These services aim to promote integration and recovery in key areas of life—housing, employment, education, social participation, and leisure.

Within this framework, rehabilitation professionals—both academically trained and paraprofessional staff—play a crucial role in accompanying service users throughout their rehabilitation process, which is based on trust, partnership, and continuity. However, one of the most prominent challenges in this field is the high turnover of staff, which undermines the stability and quality of rehabilitative relationships. Although employee burnout and retention have been studied in other helping professions, little empirical research in Israel has examined the factors influencing turnover intentions among psychiatric rehabilitation workers.

The aim of the present study was to identify environmental, organizational, and personal factors that affect turnover intentions among community psychiatric rehabilitation workers, based on Lee & Firman’s (1996) Voluntary Turnover Model. This model conceptualizes turnover as a process influenced by a combination of personal perceptions, organizational experiences, and contextual factors. Accordingly, the study examined the role of public appreciation of the worker’s role (environmental factor), supervisor support and organizational justice (organizational factors), and self-efficacy and spirituality (personal factors) in predicting turnover intentions.

A quantitative, correlational research design was employed. The sample consisted of 222 community psychiatric rehabilitation workers—both professionals and paraprofessionals—with at least one year of experience. Data were collected through anonymous online questionnaires distributed via the snowball sampling method among managers and staff groups. The data were analyzed using correlation analyses and multiple regression to examine the relative contribution of each variable to turnover intention.

Findings revealed that public appreciation of the worker’s role, supervisor support, and organizational justice were all significantly associated with turnover intentions. Workers who perceived lower public appreciation, weaker supervisor support, or lower organizational justice reported higher intentions to leave their jobs. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to be related to turnover intention among men, but not among women. No significant association was found between spirituality and turnover intention.

The findings highlight the central role of organizational and perceptual factors in shaping employees’ experiences and their commitment to the workplace. Supportive supervisory relationships, fairness, and social recognition were identified as key protective factors against turnover. The gender-based differences regarding self-efficacy suggest that men and women may derive their sense of professional satisfaction and resilience from different sources, indicating the need for gender-sensitive retention strategies.

From an applied perspective, the study underscores the importance of fostering a workplace culture that values fairness, transparency, and emotional support. It is recommended to develop managerial training programs focused on supportive leadership, and to establish professional and emotional support systems for rehabilitation staff. Moreover, public discourse should be encouraged to enhance the social recognition of rehabilitation workers and their vital contribution to society.

From a research perspective, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors that influence employee retention in community mental-health services and provides a basis for future research examining additional variables such as emotional workload, sense of mission, and organizational culture. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to reduce staff turnover, enhance service quality, and strengthen the resilience and stability of Israel’s community psychiatric rehabilitation system.