Research participation and turnover intention: An exploratory analysis of substance abuse counselors

Clinical research is increasingly being conducted in community-based addiction treatment settings. Although the primary focus of such research is on the development of effective clinical interventions, less attention has been paid to the potential impact of these projects on counseling staff who are involved in their implementation. Such involvement may be perceived as stressful or rewarding, and these perceptions may be associated with counselors' turnover intention. Using data from 207 counselors involved in research projects conducted within the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network, this study examines the associations between counselors' reactions to research experiences and turnover intention. When counselors perceived that research projects resulted in organizational benefits, turnover intention was significantly lower. However, there was a positive association between perceptions of research-related stressors and turnover intention. These findings suggest that the impact of clinical trials on treatment organizations and staff members warrants continued study.