Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT): Validity Evidence from Brazil and Portugal.

Sílvia Silva,Ana Claudia S. Vazquez,Claudio Simon Hutz,Jorge Sinval,Wilmar B. Schaufeli

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031344

Abstract

The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) has been gaining increased attention as a sound and innovative instrument in its conceptualization of burnout. BAT has been adapted for several countries, revealing promising validity evidence. This paper aims to present the psychometric properties of the Brazilian and Portuguese versions of the BAT in both the 23-item and 12-item versions. BAT’s validity evidence based on the internal structure (dimensionality, reliability, and measurement invariance) and validity evidence based on the relations to other variables are the focus of research. A cross-sectional study was conducted with two non-probabilistic convenience samples from two countries (N = 3103) one from Brazil (nBrazil = 2217) and one from Portugal (nPortugal = 886). BAT’s original structure was confirmed, and it achieved measurement invariance across countries. Using both classic test theory and item response theory as frameworks, the BAT presented good validity evidence based on the internal structure. Furthermore, the BAT showed good convergent evidence (i.e., work engagement, co-worker support, role clarity, work overload, and negative change). In conclusion, the psychometric properties of the BAT make this freely available instrument a promising way to measure and compare burnout levels of Portuguese and Brazilian workers.

Highlights

The burnout syndrome appeared in the 1970s, it is still a global issue such that the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases of World Health Organization (ICD-11) defines it as an occupational phenomenon with risk of harming health [1].The adopted definition of burnout in the ICD-11 comprises three factors as the framework proposed by Maslach et al [2].the conceptualization of burnout is somewhat controversial [3]; for example, a meta-analytical study on the physicians’ burnout found 142 unique definitions of burnout with at least 47 unique definitions using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
Were professionals according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) [116], and 72.5% had graduation or a higher academic level
Regarding Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-12, the fit to the data of the merged samples was satisfactory (H1; χ (50) = 521.809; p < 0.001; n = 3103; CFI = 0.996; NFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.994; SRMR = 0.037; RMSEA = 0.055; P(RMSEA ≤ 0.05) = 0.023; 90% CI ]0.051; 0.059[), as was the fit to the data of each country model, i.e., Brazil (Figure 2; χ2 (50) = 331.365; p < 0.001; n = 2217; CFI = 0.996; NFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.995; SRMR = 0.036; RMSEA = 0.050; P(RMSEA ≤ 0.05) = 0.439; 90%

Summary

Introduction

The conceptualization of burnout is somewhat controversial [3]; for example, a meta-analytical study on the physicians’ burnout found 142 unique definitions of burnout with at least 47 unique definitions using MBI. Some constructs, such as depression and fatigue, are conceptually linked to job burnout [4,5]. These phenomena are potentially part of the process of long-term sick leave.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion