Individual and contextual covariates of burnout: a cross-sectional nationwide study of French teachers

A Systematic Review of the Factors That Influence Teachers' Occupational Wellbeing

Teachers belong to a high-demand occupational group and experience work-related challenges and discretely diverse emotional turmoils of varying intensity while teaching and interacting with students. These experiences often result in high stress levels that contribute to burnout and, consequently, a breach of teachers' occupational wellbeing. Promoting positive teacher wellbeing substantially influences teaching quality, with a flow-on effect on student wellbeing and academic development. This literature review utilised a framework to systematically explore the factors that impact the occupational wellbeing of kindergarten, primary, and secondary schoolteachers. Thirty-eight (38) studies from an initial 3766 peer-reviewed articles sourced from various databases (CINAHL, Emcare, PychINFO, Scopus, ERIC, and PsycARTICLES) were utilized for this systematic review. Four major factors were identified, including personal capabilities, socioemotional competence, personal responses to work conditions, and professional relationships. Findings highlight the importance of teachers' occupational wellbeing in dealing with numerous challenges and competing demands, with the need for a high level of self-efficacy for instruction and behavioural management being critically significant. Teachers require adequate organisational support to successfully carry out their roles with stronger resilience and efficient job execution. Teachers also need to have social-emotional competence to be able to create a high-quality classroom environment and a conducive atmosphere that supports healthy teacher-student relationships, reduces stress and increases the occupational wellbeing of teachers. Collaborating with other relevant stakeholders such as parents, colleagues, and a school's leadership team is critical for creating a positive work environment. A good workplace has the potential to contribute to teachers' occupational wellbeing and provide a supportive platform for student learning and engagement. This review clearly points to the beneficial effects of prioritising teachers' occupational wellbeing and its intentional inclusion in the professional development plan of practising teachers. Finally, while primary school teachers and secondary school teachers share many similarities in terms of the challenges they face, there are also some differences in how these challenges impact their wellbeing, and these warrant further investigation.

Voice Disorders and Mental health of Basic Education Teachers in a Brazilian Municipality

OBJECTIVE

To identify associations with voice disorders in elementary school teachers of a Brazilian municipality STUDY DESIGN: This was a quantitative cross-sectional and analytical study with probability sampling carried out in the 2016 school year METHOD: Self-report of vocal complaints was used for the dependent variable vocal disorder. The independent variables were sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, working conditions that generate discomfort, habits and behaviors, mental health and self-perception of health. For the evaluation of the Burnout Syndrome (BS), the questionnaire Cuestionário para la Evaluación del Syndrome de Quemarse por el Trabajo (CESQT) was used and, for depression, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale instrument. Multiple fit models were used applying the Binary Logistic Regression RESULTS: A total of 634 teachers participated in this study. There was a predominance of women (85.3%) with mean age 40.6 years (SD ±9.5); 62.1% were married, 70.2% had children and a mean teaching time of 12.9 years (SD ±8.4); 19.3% had voice disorders; 14.5% experienced BS and 24.0% depression. Voice disorders were associated with women (OR=2.30) working longer weekly hours (OR=1.75), with psycho-emotional problems, with burnout (OR=1.95) and depressive symptoms (OR=1.70), and were also associated with women who reported negative self-perception of health (OR= 1.97) CONCLUSION: Voice disorders appear to be strongly associated with mental health problems, mainly in women, in those with a longer working week and those who reported a negative perception of health. Public policies are required to prevent psycho-emotional problems and for vocal health promotion of the teaching category.

Social Vulnerability of Brazilian Metropolitan Schools and Teachers' Absence from Work Due to Vocal and Psychological Symptoms: A Multilevel Analysis

Teachers' voices and psychological symptoms are the main reasons for absence from work. The objectives of this study were: (i) to spatially represent, through a webGIS, the standardized rates of teachers' absences due to voice (outcome 1) and psychological symptoms (outcome 2) in each Brazilian Federative Unit (FU = 26 states plus Federal District) and (ii) to analyze the relationship between each national outcome rate and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of the municipality where urban schools are located, adjusted for sex, age, and working conditions. This cross-sectional study comprised 4979 randomly sampled teachers working in basic education urban schools, of which 83.3% are women. The national absence rates were 17.25% for voice symptoms and 14.93% for psychological symptoms. The rates, SVI, and school locations in the 27 FUs are dynamically visualized in webGIS. The multilevel multivariate logistic regression model showed a positive association between voice outcome and high/very high SVI (OR = 1.05 [1.03; 1.07]), whereas psychological symptoms were negatively associated with high/very high SVI (OR = 0.86 [0.85 0.88]) and positively associated with intermediate SVI (OR = 1.15 [1.13; 1.16]), in contrast with low/very low SVI. Being a woman (voice: OR = 1.36 [1.35; 1.38]; psychological: 1.22 [1.21; 1.24]) and working in schools with various precarious conditions (17 variables) increased the odds of being absent due to voice and psychological symptoms. The results confirm the need for investments to improve working conditions in schools.

Interplay between Safety Climate and Emotional Exhaustion: Effects on First Responders' Safety Behavior and Wellbeing Over Time

Various job demands continuously threaten Emergency Medical Service (EMS) first responders' safety and wellbeing. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources Theory, the present study examines the effects of the organizational context-safety climate-and the psychological context-emotional exhaustion-on safety behaviors and wellbeing over time. We tested our hypotheses in a longitudinal study of 208 EMS first responders nested within 45 stations from three fire departments in US metropolitan areas over 6 months during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multilevel modeling showed that the relationship between safety climate and safety compliance behaviors can be attenuated when EMS first responders experience high emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was also negatively associated with morale while safety climate was positively associated with morale. Additionally, EMS first responders experienced increased depression when their emotional exhaustion levels were high. Higher safety climate was associated with decreased depression when emotional exhaustion was within a low-to-medium range. Higher safety climate was also associated with lower absolute levels of depression across the entire range of emotional exhaustion. These findings suggest that promoting safety climate and mitigating emotional exhaustion can augment EMS first responders' safety behaviors and wellbeing.].

The role of aggression and maladjustment in the teacher-student relationship on burnout in secondary school teachers

Introduction

Multiple studies have examined the individual and socio-demographic variables that can contribute to the development of burnout in teachers. Although the evidence supports that this syndrome is generated through the interaction between the aspects of the organization and those of the person, little attention has been spent on the impact of the teacher-student relationship adjustment and, especially, on the role of violence exercised by students or their families toward secondary school teachers, who seem to be more vulnerable than teaching professionals in general.

Objective

To analyze the role of the possible mismatch in the student-teacher relationship, as well as, the physical and verbal violence toward teachers from pupils or their parents, on the professional wear of high school educators.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on a teacher sample (n = 677) in Aragón, Spain, through a questionnaire with socio-demographic data; the “Maslach Burnout Inventory” (MBI), “Areas of Worklife Scale,” the “Fears and Rejection in Education Questionnaire” (FREQ), and a list of the possible aggressions received in the development of the teaching activity.

Results

While 3.8% of teachers have been a victim of physical attacks, 34.9% have suffered verbal abuse at least once. Although physical violence is extremely rare (and low intensity), verbal victimization or threats are associated with burnout in a highly significant manner, which confirms previous findings about school violence and burnout. Also, FEAR and REJECTION dimensions, defined as discomfort, tension, anxiety, and pressure caused by pupils, which contributed considerably on two dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism). Different covariates such as maladjustment in the teacher-pupil relationship, violence experienced at work, and complaints received explain the 56.4% variance of exhaustion, 48.8% variance in cynicism, and 35.5% for efficacy.

Conclusion

Very different variables can contribute to the development of burnout syndrome, both personal, and organizational variables. Therefore, when designing prevention programs in each work environment, the possible areas of risk and the interactions between them must be considered.

What Levers to Promote Teachers’ Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Lessons Learned from a 2021 Online Study in Six Countries

To highlight effective levers to promote teachers’ wellbeing worldwide, particularly during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated work-related factors associated with teacher wellbeing, across borders and cultures. In six countries/territories, we examined the factors that were most consistently and strongly associated with two indicators of wellbeing at work: (i) job satisfaction; and (ii) work/life balance, and three indicators of general wellbeing: (i) subjective health; (ii) mental health; and (iii) life satisfaction. Between May and July 2021, after 18 months of the pandemic, 8000 teachers answered the first edition of the International Barometer of Education Personnel’s Health and Wellbeing (I-BEST): 3646 teachers from France, 2349 from Québec, 1268 from Belgium, 302 from Morocco, 222 from The Gambia, and 215 from Mexico. For each country/territory and each wellbeing indicator, we used a forward stepwise regression procedure to identify important determinants among a carefully selected set of 31 sociodemographic, private, and professional life factors. Aside from healthcare access, the factors most consistently and strongly associated with teacher wellbeing in France, Québec and Belgium (samples whose size were ≥1000) were related to the psychosocial and the organizational dimensions of work, namely: feeling of safety at school, autonomy at work, and the quality of relationships with superiors and quality of relationships with students. In the smaller samples of teachers from the three remaining countries (Morocco, The Gambia and Mexico), exploratory analyses showed that the feeling of safety and autonomy at work were, there too, consistently associated with wellbeing indicators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors most consistently associated with teachers’ wellbeing across countries were related to security and autonomy at work, supporting the importance to consider these aspects in a continuous, structural way at school. Factors associated with teachers’ wellbeing in very different contexts require further cross-cultural study.

Occupational Risk of Technostress Related to the Use of ICT among Teachers in Spain

Teachers are frequently exposed to several occupational risks. The continuous use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) represents a potential source of technostress among teachers. The aim of the current research is to evaluate the technostress levels of school and high school teachers in Spain. The methodology applied in the manuscript, namely the staticized group technique was based on an expert panel. Results showed high levels of technostress in both dimensions (techno-anxiety and techno-fatigue). Experts highlighted the relationship between administrative tasks and technostress. More rational and efficient distribution of the workload associated with administrative obligations of the teachers, could reduce the level of technostress in the education sector. Results from the current research can help to improve working conditions of teachers considering the findings to design preventive strategies adapted to the profile of teachers and their organization. Some policy interventions such as occupational safety training, institutional technical support, and computer training programs could reduce the levels of technostress and mitigate associated negative impacts concerning the occupational health of teachers.

Determinants of Burnout among Teachers: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

We aimed to review the determinants of burnout onset in teachers. The study was conducted according to the PROSPERO protocol CRD42018105901, with a focus on teachers. We performed a literature search from 1990 to 2021 in three databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase. We included longitudinal studies assessing burnout as a dependent variable, with a sample of at least 50 teachers. We summarized studies by the types of determinant and used the MEVORECH tool for a risk of bias assessment (RBA). The quantitative synthesis focused on emotional exhaustion. We standardized the reported regression coefficients and their standard errors and plotted them using R software to distinguish between detrimental and protective determinants. A qualitative analysis of the included studies (n = 33) identified 61 burnout determinants. The RBA showed that most studies had external and internal validity issues. Most studies implemented two waves (W) of data collection with 6–12 months between W1 and W2. Four types of determinants were summarized quantitatively, namely support, conflict, organizational context, and individual characteristics, based on six studies. This systematic review identified detrimental determinants of teacher exhaustion, including job satisfaction, work climate or pressure, teacher self-efficacy, neuroticism, perceived collective exhaustion, and classroom disruption. We recommend that authors consider using harmonized methods and protocols such as those developed in OMEGA-NET and other research consortia.

The Demand-Control Model and Pupils' Aggressive Behaviour towards Teachers: A Follow-Up Study

Purpose: Pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers is a common phenomenon in schools across different countries. The purpose of this study is to test hypotheses that are central to the Job Demand–Control model as risk factors for pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers. Method: Questionnaire data were collected in 2018 and 2019 from teachers at 94 public schools in Denmark. In total, 1198 teachers participated in both rounds. Demands and social support at work were measured in 2018, and pupils’ aggressive behaviour was measured in 2019. The analyses were performed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Teachers were often exposed to pupils’ aggressive behaviour during their work. High emotional work demands and low control were associated with increased risk of pupils’ aggressive behaviour. No mitigating effect of high control was found on the association between emotional demands and risk for pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers. Conclusion: High emotional demands were strongly associated with the aggressive behaviour of pupils towards teachers. Job control over own work situation was not enough to lower the risk of aggressive behaviour under conditions in which teachers experience high emotional demands. Based on these results, we recommend that supervisors carefully balance teachers’ emotional demands to their resources.

Teacher Satisfaction in Relationships With Students and Parents and Burnout

In the educational field, the role of the support component of the teacher-student relationship is well known, while the role of the teacher-student relationship on teacher burnout is a more current field of investigation. Several studies on the sources of burnout have recently focused on job satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. However, the role of teacher-parent satisfaction is still little explored in this field. Moreover, in the Italian school context, students' seniority and educational level require further investigation, as the average age of teachers is particularly high compared to their European colleagues. The present study aims to examine in a sample of 882 Italian teachers the presence of burnout and differences in teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction between primary (students aged 6-10years) and lower secondary (students aged 11-13years) teachers. A further objective is to test whether teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction and seniority can be significant predictors of burnout. Teachers completed the Job Satisfaction Scale (MESI) and the MBI-Educators Survey and the data were then processed using MANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis. The results revealed that 8.2% of the teachers suffered from burnout and lower secondary teachers showed the highest levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. Predictors of emotional exhaustion were job dissatisfaction and seniority, and predictors of depersonalisation were job dissatisfaction and teacher-student dissatisfaction. Finally, predictors of personal accomplishment were also teacher-parent satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. The implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed in this article.

The immediate impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on burn-out, work-engagement, and surgical training in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic led to major changes in health care and education options for all health care employees. The aim of this study is to achieve insight into coronavirus disease-care participation of surgical residents in the Netherlands, the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the experienced quality of surgical training, and the influence on Burn-out and Work Engagement compared with the non-coronavirus disease 2019 period in January 2020.

METHODS

In this study, we have conducted 2 digital surveys immediately before and 2 months after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We surveyed a validated Dutch questionnaire 'Utrecht Burn-out Scale,' derived from the Maslach Burn-out Inventory, and also collected the 'Utrecht Work Engagement Scale' measuring work engagement. Additionally, we describe the coronavirus disease-care participation of surgical residents, the impact on how they experienced the quality of their surgical training, and the influence on 'Burn-out and Work Engagement' compared with the pre-coronavirus disease 2019 period for surgical residents in the Netherlands.

RESULTS

In January 2020, a total of 317 residents completed the online survey, and in April 2020, a total of 313 residents completed the online survey. Of the responders, 48.6%, in April, participated in coronavirus disease-care in both the coronavirus disease ward as well as the coronavirus disease intensive care unit. Residents experienced that the coronavirus disease 2019 influenced their surgical training in 85.2% of responders. In only 5% of the residents did the pandemic not affect the exposure to surgical training in the operating theater. More burn-out symptoms were noted amongst coronavirus disease ward deployed residents versus no coronavirus disease ward deployment, (16.0% vs 7.6%, P = .06). The Work-Engagement questionnaire showed a significantly lower work engagement score of 4.2 for residents who were deployed in a coronavirus disease-care intensive care unit versus a score of 4.6 for residents scheduled in a coronavirus disease ward (P = .02).

CONCLUSION

This study shows a significant impact of the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the Dutch surgical trainee program, with a major redistribution of residents with a decrease of surgical exposure and education. We emphasize the need for adequate guidance of all surgical residents and potentially lengthening the surgical training program.

Protective role of mindfulness, self-compassion and psychological flexibility on the burnout subtypes among psychology and nursing undergraduate students

AIMS

To explore the relationship between mindfulness, self-compassion and psychological flexibility, and the burnout subtypes in university students of the Psychology and Nursing degrees, and to analyse possible risk factors for developing burnout among socio-demographic and studies-related characteristics.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of 644 undergraduate students of Nursing and Psychology from two Spanish universities.

METHODS

The study was conducted between December 2015 and May 2016. Bivariate Pearson's correlations were computed to analyse the association between mindfulness facets, self-compassion and psychological flexibility, and levels of burnout. Multivariate linear regression models and bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were also computed.

RESULTS

The three subtypes of burnout presented significant correlations with psychological flexibility, self-compassion and some mindfulness facets. Psychological flexibility, self-compassion and the mindfulness facets of observing and acting with awareness were significantly associated to burnout. Among the risk factors, 'year of study' was the only variable to show significantly higher risk for every burnout subtype.

CONCLUSION

The significant associations found between mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility and burnout levels underline the need of including these variables as therapeutic targets when addressing the burnout syndrome in university students.

IMPACT

Undergraduate students, especially those of health sciences, often experience burnout. This study delves into the protective role of some psychological variables: mindfulness, self-compassion and psychological flexibility. These should be considered as potentially protective skills for developing burnout, and therefore, undergraduate students could be trained on these abilities to face their studies and their future profession to prevent experiencing burnout syndrome.

Healthcare professionals with calling are less likely to be burned out: the role of social worth and career stage

Purpose

The association of calling with burnout is not well understood. This study investigates how calling influences burnout and what the roles of social worth and career stage are in this relation. Drawing from the Conservation of Resources Theory, we expect that calling may be negatively associated with burnout through increased social worth and that career stage moderates these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sample of 566 healthcare professionals, we conducted regression analyses with bootstrapping procedures to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The findings show that social worth mediates the negative relation between calling and burnout. Additionally, the positive relation between calling and social worth was more pronounced for late-career employees; yet, the negative relation between social worth and burnout was stronger for early-career employees.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that searching and pursuing a professional calling is beneficial for individuals. Additionally, social worth is crucial in this relation and could be used to actively prevent burnout.

Originality/value

The study advances our understanding of the consequences of calling for employees by explaining the underlying mechanism between calling and burnout and its importance at different career stages.

Exploring the Influence of Self-Efficacy, School Context and Self-Esteem on Job Burnout of Iranian Muslim Teachers: A Path Model Approach

This study tested the influence of self-efficacy, school context and self-esteem on job burnout of Iranian Muslim teachers. Job burnout was taken to be composed of three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. A sample of 212 secondary school teachers completed a packet of scales that measure self-efficacy, school context, self-esteem and job burnout. The relationships between the variables were examined via path analysis. Path analysis showed self-efficacy to have a significant direct negative effect on depersonalization (β = - 0.25, p < 0.01) and reduced personal accomplishment (β = - 0.31, p < 0.01). School context had a significant direct effect on emotional exhaustion (β = - 0.36, p < 0.01), depersonalization (β = - 0.23, p < 0.01) and reduced personal accomplishment (β = - 0.17, p < 0.01). Self-esteem had a significant direct effect on emotional exhaustion (β = - 0.36, p < 0.01), depersonalization (β = - 0.15, p < 0.01) and reduced personal accomplishment (β = - 0.26, p < 0.01). The proposed model explained 47% of total variance of "emotional exhaustion," 28% of "depersonalization" and 54% of "reduced personal accomplishment."

The Positive Relationships Between Paranoia, Perceptions of Workplace Bullying, and Intentions of Workplace Deviance in United Kingdom and French Teachers: Cross-Cultural Aspects

Cognitive models of psychopathology were applied to inform the relationships between paranoid cognitions, perceptions of workplace bullying, and intentions of workplace deviance in UK and French teachers. Sixty-six UK teachers and 50 French teachers were asked to fill in an online survey comprised of the Green Paranoia Thought Scales, Negative Acts Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress scales, and Workplace Deviance Scale. The variables in this study were conceptualized as cognitions and not as facts because the study used self-report questionnaires of paranoid ideation, workplace bullying, and workplace deviance. Mann-Whitney tests showed that UK teachers report significantly more perceptions of work-related bullying and intentions of workplace deviance than French teachers. However, there was no statistically significant difference between UK and French teachers for the report of paranoid ideation. Mediation analyses showed that paranoia impacted on intentions of workplace deviance but perceptions of workplace bullying and negative affect did not mediate this association in UK and French teachers. Culturally tailored psycho-social interventions should be implemented targeting teachers' paranoid thinking and workplace bullying in order to deter teachers from engaging in workplace deviance and to promote their well-being.

Health and Work Environment among Female and Male Swedish Elementary School Teachers-A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objectives: Changes in teachers’ work situation in Sweden since the 1990s may have contributed to an increase in common mental disorders (CMDs) and burnout. However, there is a lack of research in this field. The aim was to describe how Swedish elementary school teachers experience their health, organizational and social work environment, and the psychosocial safety climate at the workplace, and especially differences and similarities between female and male teachers. Materials and methods: Data were collected with the COPSOQ, OLBI, UWES and PSC-12 from 478 elementary teachers, 81.0% of them women, from twenty schools. The response rate was 96.4%. Results: Teachers reported relatively good general health but experienced high stress, high work pace and emotional demands, low influence at work and a poor psychosocial safety climate. These factors were especially prominent among female teachers. Both women and men experienced good development possibilities and high work engagement. Conclusions: The results of this study can help us to develop a more sustainable work environment for female and male teachers. A more sustainable work environment might attract more people to the profession and incentivize existing teachers to remain in the profession.

[Implications of the environment, conditions and organization of work on teacher health: a systematic review]

The state of health of the teacher is fundamental to the success of the teaching process. In addition to the intrinsic aspects, the scholastic context affects the well-being of the educator. The objective of this study was to identify the main psychosocial, structural and relational factors in the teaching profession. A systematic review of the literature, with the use of electronic research in eight databases, identified 2,479 articles on the topic published between 1997 and 2016. Metric and subjective parameters were adopted for selection in this portfolio and, in all, 32 publications were eligible for analysis, of which 29 were published in English. After the bibliometric and content characterization of the final portfolio, the main results of strain were psychosomatic disorders, with an emphasis on stress and the Burnout Syndrome, as well as voice disturbances. Workload, interpersonal relations and conditions of the scholastic environment are highlighted as the major agents of these conditions. Changes and adaptations in classrooms, actions of prevention and social support are pointed out as possible solutions to guarantee the quality of life of these professionals.

Overall and work-related well-being of teachers in socially disadvantaged schools: a population-based study of French teachers

OBJECTIVES

As a human service profession, teaching presents specific risk factors that could be intensified in socially disadvantaged schools and, ultimately, impact the service quality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between school socioeconomic status and teachers' well-being.

DESIGN

Population-based postal survey 'Teachers' Quality of Life' (MGEN Foundation for Public Health/French Ministry of Education; 2013). To categorise the school socioeconomic status, we used the 'Education Priority Area (EPA)' administrative classification, which is chiefly based on the proportion of underprivileged students and is available for primary and lower secondary state schools.

PARTICIPANTS

In-service French teachers randomly selected from among the teaching staff administrative list of the French Ministry of Education after stratification by sex, age and type of school.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Indicators of well-being at work included a question on job satisfaction, job difficulty evolution and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The short version of the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire was used to evaluate overall well-being. Among primary and lower secondary school teachers, we evaluated cross-sectional associations between school EPA status and indicators of well-being, using logistic or linear regressions stratified by school level and adjusted for sociodemographic and work-related characteristics.

RESULTS

In the adjusted models, there was no significant difference in work-related well-being between teachers in EPA and non-EPA schools, both in primary school (n=154 vs n=788) and in lower secondary school (n=113 vs n=452). Regarding overall well-being, the only significant differences were seen among primary school teachers, with teachers in EPA schools reporting a worse perception of physical health and living environment than teachers in non-EPA schools.

CONCLUSION

Using a representative sample of French teachers, we did not observe substantial differences in work-related well-being between teachers in EPA and non-EPA schools.

Burnout syndrome, body mass index and other factors related to the practice of physical education teachers in Ibagué, Colombia

Introducción.

El síndrome de desgaste profesional en profesores ha ido en aumento durante las últimas décadas y ha suscitado interés por su estudio.

Objetivo.

Determinar los grados del síndrome de desgaste profesional y su asociación con otros factores de los profesores de educación física de las instituciones educativas del municipio de Ibagué.

Materiales y métodos.

Se hizo un estudio descriptivo y transversal de 111 docentes de educación física de los colegios de Ibagué, con edades entre los 26 y los 65 años. Las variables sociodemográficas incluyeron el sexo y la edad, y se analizaron las variables propias del síndrome. La información se recolectó utilizando la versión para profesionales de la educación del ‘Cuestionario para la evaluación del síndrome de quemarse (sic) con el trabajo’ (CESQT-PE).

Resultados.

Los profesores de educación física presentaron niveles bajos del síndrome; 22 docentes (19,8 %) presentaron niveles elevados y de estos, 15 respondían al perfil 1 (síndrome sin sentimientos de culpa) y siete al perfil 2 (síndrome con sentimientos de culpa). En los hombres la prevalencia del síndrome fue mayor, en tanto que en las mujeres las cifras fueron mayores en las dimensiones de desgaste físico y emocional, indolencia y sentimientos de culpa.

Conclusiones.

Es necesario diseñar e implementar programas de formación orientados a explicar qué es el síndrome de desgaste profesional, cómo y por qué aparece, cómo evoluciona y cuáles son sus síntomas, así como estrategias de prevención e intervención individual que incluyan técnicas de relajación física y de control respiratorio.

A Quantitative Measurement of Physical Therapists' Empathy and Exploration of the Relationship With Practice Setting and Work Engagement

Clinical empathy has been studied in a number of health-care disciplines suggesting that higher practitioner empathy leads to improved patient health and wellness and improved patient outcomes. While some aspects of the physical therapist-patient relationship have been described, evidence of quantitative assessment of clinical empathy in physical therapists is scarce. To investigate the level of self-reported clinical empathy in physical therapists and its relationship to practice environment and workplace engagement, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Provider version (JSE-HP) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) were used. Study participants were 123 physical therapists working full time at either an acute care setting, a rehabilitation hospital, or an outpatient clinic. These physical therapists demonstrated a mean JSE-HP score of 118.5 (9.1) and a mean OLBI score of 15.63 (3.5). This mean empathy score was found to be higher than reported empathy level of some health disciplines such as nursing and pharmacy yet lower than others such as mental health workers, psychiatrists, and pediatricians. Practice setting was not found to be a significant factor regarding empathy levels in physical therapists. As reported in previous studies, there was a positive correlation between being female and having higher empathy levels. A positive correlation was found between age and work disengagement. Finally, our hypothesis regarding a negative correlation between empathy and work disengagement was confirmed, suggesting that workplace disengagement may diminish a physical therapist's empathy, which may then negatively affect patient clinical outcomes.

Effects of organisational and patient factors on doctors' burnout: a national survey in China

OBJECTIVES

To measure the burnout of doctors affiliated with western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals and to evaluate its relationships with organisational and patient factors.

DESIGN

A national cross-sectional study in China.

SETTING

By convenience sampling, this study was conducted in 64 general hospitals from six provinces and Beijing between July 2014 and April 2015. There were a total of 2576 eligible participants, including 1766 WM doctors and 810 TCM doctors in this study.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Burnout symptoms of emotional exhaustion, job involvement and personal accomplishment were measured.

RESULTS

In total, 73.6% of doctors reported emotional exhaustion, the core component of burnout. In multivariable models, emotional exhaustion was significantly associated with organisational factors, including salary fairness [WM: odds ratio (OR)=2.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.80 to 3.09; TCM: OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.33], participation in organisational decision-making (WM: OR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.21 to 2.08; TCM: OR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.74), professional value (WM: OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.35 to 2.25), frequency of participation in full-time training (TCM: OR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.16) and frequency of participation in clinical meetings (WM: OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.10; TCM: OR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.57 to 3.92). Patient factors are also associated with burnout among both WM and TCM doctors, including respect (WM: OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.31 to 2.28; TCM: OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.10 to 2.45) and unreasonable demands (WM: OR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.68 to 3.20; TCM: OR=3.44, 95% CI: 2.15 to 5.49). Moreover, job involvement and personal accomplishment among both WM and TCM doctors were significantly associated with organisational and patient factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that improving organisational management and patient behaviours may be beneficial to reduce doctors' burnout. Our findings require further validation in different organisational settings.

Burnout symptomatology and social support at work independent of the private sphere: a population-based study of French teachers

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between social support at work and burnout among teachers, independent of the teachers' private social and environmental context.

METHODS

In the 2013 "Teachers' Quality of Life" population-based study (France, n = 2653), burnout symptomatology was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The score for each dimension (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment) was dichotomized using extreme tertiles. Global score for social support at work, and subscores by source and type were derived from the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire and were categorized into tertiles (low, medium, and high). The private context was appraised through the "social relationships" and "environment" subscales of the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. Associations between social support at work and burnout indicators were evaluated among 2473 teachers with complete data, using logistic regression models adjusted for the private context plus sociodemographic and work-related characteristics.

RESULTS

Eight percent of the teachers showed simultaneously high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization and low personal accomplishment symptoms and were considered as burnout cases. After controlling for the private context, teachers who reported high social support at work were significantly less likely to report burnout [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) high vs. low = 0.62 (0.40, 0.98)]. When distinguishing the source of social support at work, only high social support from supervisors remained significantly associated with a lower risk of burnout [0.43 (0.27, 0.71)].

CONCLUSIONS

Improving social support at work, especially from a hierarchical point of view, may be an effective target to promote teacher's well-being.

[Teacher sick leave: Prevalence, duration, reasons and covariates]

BACKGROUND

Absences from work have considerable social and economic impact. In the education sector, the phenomenon is particularly worrying since teacher sick leave has an impact on the overall performance of the education system. Yet, available data are scarce.

METHODS

In April-June 2013, 2653 teachers responded to a population-based postal survey on their quality of life (enquête Qualité de vie des enseignants, MGEN Foundation/Ministry of education, response rate 53 %). Besides questions on work environment and health, teachers were asked to describe their eventual sick leave(s) since the beginning of the school year: duration, type and medical reasons. Self-reported information was reinforced by administrative data from ministerial databases and weighted to be extrapolated to all French teachers. Tobit models adjusted for individual factors of a private nature were used to investigate different occupational risk factors of teacher sick leave, taking into account both the estimated effect on the probability of sick leave and the length of it.

RESULTS

More than one in three teachers (36 %) reported having had at least one day of sick leave since the beginning of the school year. Respiratory/ENT diseases were the leading reason for sick leave (37 %). However, and because sick leave duration depended on the underlying health problem, such diseases came in third place among justifications of sick leave days (14 %), far behind musculoskeletal problems (27 %) and neurological and psychological disorders (25 %). Tobit models suggested that some occupational factors significantly associated with the risk of sick leave may represent promising preventive targets, including high psychological demand, workplace violence and unfavorable socio-environmental context.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides objective evidence about the issue of sick leave among French teachers, highlighting the usefulness of implementing actions to minimize its weight. To this end, the study findings point-out the importance of considering not only the probability of sick leave, but also its duration.

Association between insomnia symptoms, job strain and burnout syndrome: a cross-sectional survey of 1300 financial workers

OBJECTIVES

Professional burnout is closely related to work stress but less frequently associated with disturbed sleep. This study determines whether job strain and sleep disturbances are associated risk factors of burnout among financial workers.

DESIGN

Observational study.

PARTICIPANTS

1300 employees (725 female) of a financial company.

PRIMARY MEASURES

Self-reported questionnaires (Maslach Burnout Inventory, Job Content Questionnaire, Sleep questionnaire based on ICSD-3 classification), the Epworth sleepiness scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

RESULT

The prevalence of burnout was 10.2% (9.0% moderate and 1.2% severe). 23.3% of workers were considered with high job strain, and 93.1% had a high level of job satisfaction. 16.8% of individuals had insomnia and 97% reported non-restorative sleep. The bivariate analyses demonstrate a higher risk of burnout in participants with insomnia (OR=14.7, 95% CI 9.8 to 21.9), non-restorative sleep (OR=9.9, 95% CI 5.1 to 19.5) and anxiety (OR=10.2, 95% CI 6.8 to 15.3). High job strain was associated with burnout (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6). This association was not maintained after adjustment for sleep parameters. Job satisfaction was another independent risk factor for burnout (OR=124, 95% CI 65 to 237).

CONCLUSIONS

In our sample of financial workers, job strain represents a burnout risk factor only if associated with insomnia. Insomnia can be considered as a relevant clinical marker that should be targeted in mental health prevention programmes at the workplace.

Demographics and Personality Factors Associated with Burnout among Nurses in a Singapore Tertiary Hospital

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and extent of burnout among nurses in Singapore and investigate the influence of demographic factors and personal characteristics on the burnout syndrome. Methods. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. All registered nurses working in Singapore General Hospital were approached to participate. A questionnaire eliciting data on demographics, burnout (measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI), and personality profile (measured using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI) was used. Results. 1830 nurses out of 3588 responded (response rate: 51%). Results from 1826 respondents were available for analysis. The MBI identified 39% to have high emotional exhaustion (EE, cut-off score of >27), 40% having high depersonalization (DP, cut-off score of >10), and 59% having low personal accomplishment (PA, cut-off score of <33). In multivariable analysis, age, job grade, and neuroticism were significantly associated with each of the 3 components of the MBI. Staff nurses less than 30 years with high to very high neuroticism were more likely to experience high EE, high DP, and low PA. Conclusion. Younger nurses in Singapore are at increased risk of burnout. Personality traits also played a significant role in the experience of burnout.

Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and Associated Factors Among Rural Health Workers (Behvarzes) in South Khorasan

Background

Essential primary health care is delivered through the public health center PHC network by public health workers (Behvarzs). Health workers are exposed to different types of stresses while working.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of burnout and associated factors among rural health workers in the health centers of Birjand University of Medical Sciences.

Patients and Methods

All rural health workers of health centers under the coverage of the Birjand University of Medical Sciences selected through census sampling participated in this cross-sectional study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, GHQ-12 questionnaire, and demographic questionnaire were completed by the participants. Data were analyzed by SPSS 15 using descriptive statistics, chi-square (χ²), t-test, and ANOVA test.

Results

A total of 423 health workers participated in this study, and their mean age was 39 ± 8.4 years. Among the participants, 34.5% had moderate to severe levels of burnout. About 31.4% of the subjects had abnormal scores in emotional exhaustion, 16.8% in depersonalization, and 47% in the personal accomplishment subscales. The rate of abnormal mental health among the participants was 36.68%. The prevalence of mental disorders was 24.5% in subjects with low burnout or without burnout against 60.4% of subjects with moderate or severe burnout (P = 0.001). Age, education level, number of children, and years of employment were found to have a significant association with the burnout level of the participants (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Burnout was prevalent among health workers. Based on the high level of burnout among health workers, reducing job ambiguity/conflict, participating in planning new programs, and improving interaction with health authorities may help them to overcome their job-related pressure and to give a more desirable performance.

The Relationship Between Burnout and Occupational Stress in Genetic Counselors

Burnout represents a critical disruption in an individual's relationship with work, resulting in a state of exhaustion in which one's occupational value and capacity to perform are questioned. Burnout can negatively affect an individual's personal life, as well as employers in terms of decreased work quality, patient/client satisfaction, and employee retention. Occupational stress is a known contributor to burnout and occurs as a result of employment requirements and factors intrinsic to the work environment. Empirical research examining genetic counselor-specific burnout is limited; however, existing data suggests that genetic counselors are at increased risk for burnout. To investigate the relationship between occupational stress and burnout in genetic counselors, we administered an online survey to members of three genetic counselor professional organizations. Validated measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (an instrument measuring burnout on three subscales: exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) and the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (an instrument measuring occupational stress on 14 subscales). Of the 353 respondents, more than 40 % had either considered leaving or left their job role due to burnout. Multiple regression analysis yielded significant predictors for burnout risk. The identified sets of predictors account for approximately 59 % of the variance in exhaustion, 58 % of the variance in cynicism, and 43 % of the variance in professional efficacy. Our data confirm that a significant number of genetic counselors experience burnout and that burnout is correlated with specific aspects of occupational stress. Based on these findings, practice and research recommendations are presented.

Síndrome de Burnout: estudo comparativo entre professores do ensino especial e do ensino regular

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar se existem diferenças nos índices das dimensões de SB, Perfil 1 e 2 entre professores de ensino especial e regular. A amostra constituiu-se de 160 professores, 80 de ensino especial e 80 de ensino regular. Os instrumentos utilizados foram um questionário elaborado para levantamento de dados demográficos e laborais e o Cuestionario para la Evaluacióndel Síndrome de Quemarse por elTrabajo - CESQT. Os resultados encontrados, por meio do teste t de student, evidenciaram que professores de ensino especial possuem média mais elevada na dimensão de Ilusão pelo Trabalho e professores de ensino regular, maiores índices médios de Perfil 1 e Perfil 2 de Burnout. Resultados apontam a necessidade de intervenções diferenciadas que considerem as peculiaridades funcionais dos grupos investigados.

Green perspectives for public health: a narrative review on the physiological effects of experiencing outdoor nature

Natural environments offer a high potential for human well-being, restoration and stress recovery in terms of allostatic load. A growing body of literature is investigating psychological and physiological health benefits of contact with Nature. So far, a synthesis of physiological health outcomes of direct outdoor nature experiences and its potential for improving Public Health is missing. We were interested in summarizing the outcomes of studies that investigated physiological outcomes of experiencing Nature measuring at least one physiological parameter during the last two decades. Studies on effects of indoor or simulated Nature exposure via videos or photos, animal contact, and wood as building material were excluded from further analysis. As an online literature research delivered heterogeneous data inappropriate for quantitative synthesis approaches, we descriptively summarized and narratively synthesized studies. The procedure started with 1,187 titles. Research articles in English language published in international peer-reviewed journals that investigated the effects of natural outdoor environments on humans by were included. We identified 17 relevant articles reporting on effects of Nature by measuring 20 different physiological parameters. We assigned these parameters to one of the four body systems brain activity, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and immune function. These studies reported mainly direct and positive effects, however, our analyses revealed heterogeneous outcomes regarding significance of results. Most of the studies were conducted in Japan, based on quite small samples, predominantly with male students as participants in a cross-sectional design. In general, our narrative review provided an ambiguous illustration of the effects outdoor nature exerted on physiological parameters. However, the majority of studies reported significant positive effects. A harmonizing effect of Nature, especially on physiological stress reactions, was found across all body systems. From a Public Health perspective, interdisciplinary work on utilizing benefits of Nature regarding health promotion, disease prevention, and nature-based therapy should be optimized in order to eventually diminish given methodological limitations from mono-disciplinary studies.

Causes of discomfort in the academic workplace and their associations with the different burnout types: a mixed-methodology study

BACKGROUND

Burnout is the result of prolonged workplace exposure to chronic stress factors and may present itself in one of the following subtypes: "frenetic", "under-challenged" and "worn-out". The aims of the present study were to identify the causes of workplace discomfort that affect employees in large organizations and to determine the predictive power of these causes with regard to the burnout subtypes.

METHOD

We employed a qualitative and quantitative analysis (QQA), using a cross-sectional design with an online survey administered to a randomly selected sample of University workers (n = 409). To determine the causes of discomfort, we raised the following open question: "What aspects of your work generate discomfort for you?". The responses were subjected to content analysis and categorized by three independent referees. The concordance between the responses was estimated with the kappa coefficient (k). Subtype classification was assessed according to the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire" (BCSQ-36). The degree of association between the motives for the complaint and the burnout profiles was evaluated using adjusted odds ratio (OR), which was based on multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The causes of discomfort included: physical environment (setting aspects, material conditions, journey/access), organization (schedules, structure, functions, interpersonal relations) and individual conditions (workload, powerlessness, rewards, negligence). The concordance index between the referees was k = 0.80. Employees who were upset with the hierarchical structure were more likely to be classified as frenetic (OR = 4.32; 95% CI = 1.43-13.06; p = 0.010); those who complained of routine duties were more likely to be classified as under-challenged (OR = 5.33; 95% CI = 1.84-15.40; p = 0.002); those whose discomfort was caused by structure control systems were more likely to be classified as worn-out (OR = 6.13; 95% CI = 1.57-23.91; p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

The causes of discomfort among the different burnout subtypes are primarily attributable to the organization itself, in response to the structure and functions. The associations observed between the different subtypes and motives for complaint are consistent with the clinical profile-based syndrome definition, which suggests that interventions should be case-specific.

Primary school teachers in China: associations of organizational justice and effort-reward imbalance with burnout and intentions to leave the profession in a cross-sectional sample

OBJECTIVE

We examined associations of organizational justice (OJ) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) with burnout and intentions to leave the teaching profession (ILTP) among primary school teachers in China.

METHODS

Six primary schools located in Wuhan, China, were randomly selected from three different socioeconomic areas in 2010. In total, these schools employed 533 teachers, and 436 of these (82 %) participated in a cross-sectional survey. OJ and ERI were assessed by 13-item and 10-item questionnaires, respectively. Burnout was measured using the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory. ILTP were operationalized based on the frequency of thoughts about turnover during the past year. Logistic regression-based odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated separately for OJ and ERI. In a second step, these work stress scales were entered into the same regression model.

RESULTS

Separate regression models suggested moderate to strong associations of OJ and ERI with burnout and ILTP. After simultaneous adjustment, the overall OJ score remained associated with burnout and ILTP, but ERI appeared to be the stronger and more consistent determinant of both outcomes. For instance, an increase of 1 standard deviation of the ERI score was associated with an OR of 2.60 (95 % CI 1.97-3.43) for burnout and with an OR of 2.26 (95 % CI 1.66-3.08) for ILTP.

CONCLUSIONS

Organizational justice and in particular ERI appeared to be determinants of burnout and ILTP among primary school teachers in China.

A factor confirmation and convergent validity of the "areas of worklife scale" (AWS) to Spanish translation

Background

Perceived incongruity between the individual and the job on work-life areas such as workload, control, reward, fairness, community and values have implications for the dimensions of burnout syndrome. The “Areas of Work-life Scale” (AWS) is a practical instrument to measure employees´ perceptions of their work environments.

AIMS: Validate a Spanish translation of the AWS, and it relationship with Masclach Burnout Inventory dimensions.

Methods

The study was conducted in three medium-sized hospitals and seven rural and urban Primary Care centres (N = 871) in Spain. The “Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey” (MBI-GS) and AWS were applied. We developed a complete psychometric analysis of its reliability, and validity.

Results

Data on the reliability supported a good internal consistency (Cronbach α between .71, and .85). Construct validity was confirmed by a six factor model of the AWS as a good measure of work environments (χ²₍₃₅₂₎ = 806.21, p < 0.001; χ²/df = 2.29; CFI = 0.935, RMSEA = 0.039); concurrent validity was analysed for its relationship with other measures (opposing dimensions to burnout, and MBI), and each correlation between dimensions and sub-dimensions were statistically significant; as well, predictive validity, by a series of Multiple Regression Analysis examined the resulting patterns of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirms the relationship between the work-life areas and burnout dimensions.

Conclusions

Leiter and Maslach’s AWS has been an important instrument in exploring several work-life factors that contribute to burnout. This scale can now be used to assess the quality of work-life in order to design and assess the need for intervention programs in Spanish-speaking countries.

Understanding burnout according to individual differences: ongoing explanatory power evaluation of two models for measuring burnout types

Background

The classic determination of burnout is by means of the dimensions exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy. A new definition of the syndrome is based on clinical subtypes, consisting of “frenetic” (involved, ambitious, overloaded), “underchallenged” (indifferent, bored, with lack of personal development) and “worn-out” (neglectful, unacknowledged, with little control). The dimensions of overload, lack of development and neglect form a shortened version of this perspective. The aims of this study were to estimate and to compare the explanatory power of both typological models, short and long, with the standard measurement.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional survey with a randomly sample of university employees (n=409). Multivariate linear regression models were constructed between the “Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey” (MBI-GS) dimensions, as dependent variables, and the “Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire” (BCSQ-36 and BCSQ-12) dimensions, as independent variables.

Results

The BCSQ-36 subscales together explained 53% of ‘exhaustion’ (p<0.001), 59% of ‘cynicism’ (p<0.001) and 37% of ‘efficacy’ (p<0.001), while BCSQ-12 subscales explained 44% of ‘exhaustion’ (p<0.001), 44% of ‘cynicism’ (p<0.001), and 30% of ‘efficacy’ (p<0.001). The difference in the explanatory power of both models was significant for ‘exhaustion’ (p<0.001), and for ‘cynicism’ (p<0.001) and ‘efficacy (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Both BCSQ-36 and BCSQ-12 demonstrate great explanatory power over the standard MBI-GS, while offering a useful characterization of the syndrome for the evaluation and design of interventions tailored to the characteristics of each individual. The BCSQ-36 may be very useful in mental health services, given that it provides a good deal of information, while the BCSQ-12 could be used as a screening measure in primary care consultations owing to its simplicity and functional nature.

Burnout hazard in teachers results of a clinical-psychological intervention study

Background

The study investigates whether established in-patient therapy for teachers with burnout results in long-acting success and whether gender gaps and differences between teachers of different school levels exist. According to our knowledge, our study is the most extensive inpatient intervention study on the burnout of a defined occupational group, i.e., teachers.

Methods

200 teachers participated, 150 took part in a later performed katamnestic survey.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used and work-related data were recorded. The days of incapacity for work and the percentage of teachers endangered by burnout decreased, which supports the long-term success of the treatment.

Results

Significant differences between males and females and between teacher levels were found. However, the differences between teacher levels only showed up before treatment. Because males only underwent treatment at a more severe stage, further efforts in persuading males to start therapy earlier are needed.

Conclusions

The proven and long-term success of the performed intervention could have greater effects if people, especially males, undergo treatment more frequently. Our results are based on selectively high proposition of teachers of advanced age. Thus it is possible that the long term effect of the intervention, particularly on retirement age, is greater when the intervention is started earlier. Regular burnout tests could help to identify risk cases among teachers at an early stage and to offer a therapeutic intervention.

Burnout syndrome among dental students: a short version of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire" adapted for students (BCSQ-12-SS)

BACKGROUND

Burnout has been traditionally defined in relation to the dimensions of "exhaustion", "cynicism", and "inefficiency". More recently, the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-12) further established three different subtypes of burnout: the "frenetic" subtype (related to "overload"), the "under-challenged" subtype (related to "lack of development"), and the "worn-out" subtype (related to "neglect"). However, to date, these definitions have not been applied to students. The aims of this research were (1) to adapt a Spanish version of the BCSQ-12 for use with students, (2) to test its factorial validity, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and (3) to assess potential socio-demographic and occupational risk factors associated with the development of the subtypes.

METHOD

We used a cross-sectional design on a sample of dental students (n = 314) from Santiago and Huesca universities (Spain). Participants completed the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire Student Survey (BCSQ-12-SS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS), and a series of socio-demographic and occupational questions formulated for the specific purpose of this study. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the principal component method with varimax orthogonal rotation. To assess the relations with the criterion, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), multiple correlation coefficient (R(y.123)), and the coefficient of determination (R(2)(y.123)). To assess the association between the subtypes and the socio-demographic variables, we examined the adjusted odds ratio (OR) obtained from multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Factorial analyses supported the theoretical proposition of the BCSQ-12-SS, with α-values exceeding 0.80 for all dimensions. The "overload-exhaustion" relation was r = 0.59 (p < 0.001), "lack of development"-"cynicism", r = 0.49 (p < 0.001), "neglect"-"inefficiency", r = 0.47 (p < 0.001). The "overload"-"lack of development" relation was r = 0.21 (p < 0.001), "overload"-"neglect", r = 0.20 (p < 0.001), and "lack of development"-"neglect", r = 0.38 (p < 0.001). The BCSQ-12-SS explained 38.44% of the variability in "exhaustion", (R(y.123) = 0.62), 30.25% in "cynicism" (R(y.123) = 0.55), and 26.01% in "inefficiency" (R(y.123) = 0.51). "Hours spent on studying" was found to be associated with "overload" (p = 0.001), "campus" with "lack of development" (p = 0.013), and ""failed subjects" with "neglect" (p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the definition of burnout as established by the BCSQ-12-SS. As such, the BCSQ-12-SS can be used for the recognition of clinical profiles and for the suggestion of potential intervention strategies specific to the characteristics of each particular case.

Sociodemographic and occupational risk factors associated with the development of different burnout types: the cross-sectional University of Zaragoza study

BACKGROUND

Three different burnout types have been described: The "frenetic" type describes involved and ambitious subjects who sacrifice their health and personal lives for their jobs; the "underchallenged" type describes indifferent and bored workers who fail to find personal development in their jobs, and the "worn-out" in type describes neglectful subjects who feel they have little control over results and whose efforts go unacknowledged. The study aimed to describe the possible associations between burnout types and general sociodemographic and occupational characteristics.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out on a multi-occupational sample of randomly selected university employees (n = 409). The presence of burnout types was assessed by means of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-36)", and the degree of association between variables was assessed using an adjusted odds ratio (OR) obtained from multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Individuals working more than 40 hours per week presented with the greatest risk for "frenetic" burnout compared to those working fewer than 35 hours (adjusted OR = 5.69; 95% CI = 2.52-12.82; p < 0.001). Administration and service personnel presented the greatest risk of "underchallenged" burnout compared to teaching and research staff (adjusted OR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.16-7.01; p = 0.023). Employees with more than sixteen years of service in the organisation presented the greatest risk of "worn-out" burnout compared to those with less than four years of service (adjusted OR = 4.56; 95% CI = 1.47-14.16; p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to our knowledge that suggests the existence of associations between the different burnout subtypes (classified according to the degree of dedication to work) and the different sociodemographic and occupational characteristics that are congruent with the definition of each of the subtypes. These results are consistent with the clinical profile definitions of burnout syndrome. In addition, they assist the recognition of distinct profiles and reinforce the idea of differential characterisation of the syndrome for more effective treatment.

School neighborhood disadvantage as a predictor of long-term sick leave among teachers: prospective cohort study

This ongoing prospective study examined characteristics of school neighborhood and neighborhood of residence as predictors of sick leave among school teachers. School neighborhood income data for 226 lower-level comprehensive schools in 10 towns in Finland were derived from Statistics Finland and were linked to register-based data on 3,063 teachers with no long-term sick leave at study entry. Outcome was medically certified (>9 days) sick leave spells during a mean follow-up of 4.3 years from data collection in 2000-2001. A multilevel, cross-classified Poisson regression model, adjusted for age, type of teaching job, length and type of job contract, school size, baseline health status, and income level of the teacher's residential area, showed a rate ratio of 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.63) for sick leave among female teachers working in schools located in low-income neighborhoods compared with those working in high-income neighborhoods. A low income level of the teacher's residential area was also independently associated with sick leave among female teachers (rate ratio = 1.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 1.91). Exposure to both low-income school neighborhoods and low-income residential neighborhoods was associated with the greatest risk of sick leave (rate ratio = 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.27, 2.30). This study indicates that working and living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with increased risk of sick leave among female teachers.