Abstract
Background and objectives: Burnout syndrome is considered as a serious public health problem that affects workers especially in the helping professions. For the effective prevention of this negative phenomenon, it is important to identify the preventive factors. One such factor to combat job burnout is the meaning of life. The primary goal of the paper is to examine the relationship between burnout syndrome and different dimensions of meaning of life among the selected helping professions (teaching, social work and nursing) in Slovakia. Methods: The research sample consisted of 212 assistants who participated in the survey and answered to the research tools aimed at identifying the meaning of life and burnout syndrome. Data were analyzed by inductive statistics including (ANOVA), correlation and regression analysis. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in the level of burnout syndrome and meaning of life in the professions under study. Furthermore, it was found that workers with higher level of affective component in their meaning of life experienced a lower degree of emotional exhaustion (β = -. 37, p <.001) and higher personal performance (β = .35, p <.001). Workers who have a higher meaning in life in the affective and motivational component suffered from a lower degree of depersonalization (β = -. 49, p <.001; (β = .13, p <.05). Conclusions: A higher degree of meaning in life result in lower rate of burnout syndrome, and this finding should be integrated into the intervention strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of burnout syndrome. Regular reflections on the meaningfulness of work and life can be useful for the workers, especially during demanding and stressful periods. An existential approach seems to be very appropriate in this context.
Highlights
Work has its specific role in an individual’s life, it is a source of material security, and of self-realization, it provides an individual with a certain order of life, regime, social background and, last but not least, emotional and social appreciation
A higher degree of meaning in life result in lower rate of burnout syndrome, and this finding should be integrated into the intervention strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of burnout syndrome
The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between the meaning of life and the burnout syndrome in selected helping professions
Summary
Work has its specific role in an individual’s life, it is a source of material security, and of self-realization, it provides an individual with a certain order of life, regime, social background and, last but not least, emotional and social appreciation. Burnout syndrome is a negative phenomenon that is associated with the work environment, especially in helping professions It affects the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of the worker and arises as a result of an imbalance between "expenses" and "income", the worker has a subjective feeling that he invests a lot in work and the benefits are small in comparison. Mental, emotional and social aspects of the worker and arises as a result of an imbalance between "expenses" and "income", the worker has a subjective feeling that he invests a lot in work and the benefits are small in comparison These professions are characterized by contact with other people whom the worker is to help. The primary goal of the paper is to examine the relationship between burnout syndrome and different dimensions of meaning of life among the selected helping professions (teaching, social work and nursing) in Slovakia
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