A cognitive-behavioral approach to teacher burnout: A randomized controlled trial of a group therapy program

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: As a well-known phenomenon with significant social, biological, and psychological impacts, burnout syndrome has been viewed and treated from different therapeutic perspectives. However, few studies have evaluated interventions to prevent and alleviate teacher burnout. Design: This study comprised a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a group-based cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) program for teacher burnout, with assessments at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Methods: The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) was administered to 242 English language teachers with diverse professional profiles in Iran. Of these, 62 teachers with burnout symptoms were randomly assigned to either a group-based eight-week CBT treatment program or a waiting list control condition. Results: The results of a series of mixed factorial ANOVAs demonstrated significantly greater improvements for the treatment compared to the control condition on the total score and three subscales of the MBI-ES (teachers’ emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) at post-treatment, with treatment effects maintained at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: This CBT intervention has promise for supporting teachers in stressful occupational conditions and reducing their burnout.