The Reality Gap: A grounded theory study investigating turnover intention among Australia's rural-based, early career community mental health professionals

Abstract

Community mental health (CMH) case management services in rural Australia are an important public sector mental health service, heavily relied upon by people living with serious and/or persistent mental ill-health. Chronic staffing shortages are widespread within these rural CMH services, arising from long-term vacancies and high staff turnover. This study aimed to investigate how employment and rural-living factors impacted the turnover intention of early career CMH professionals in their first few years working in rural services. Using a grounded theory methodology, the study aimed to produce a substantive theory explaining this turnover intention phenomenon as well as to identify the basic social process to assist with theoretical conceptualisation. Twenty-six in-depth interviews with early career health professionals who had worked for over 12 months for NSW Health in rural CMH positions were undertaken.