Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome in Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Nada Marić,Petar Bulat,Stefan Mandić-Rajčević,Nataša Maksimović

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103595

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of burnout syndrome in a large sample of primary and secondary school teachers in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and identify the factors associated with burnout in this population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in August and September of 2018, on a sample of 952 teachers. Beside socio-demographic information, Bortner scale, Job Content Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory were filled in by the study participants. Results: Only 5.1% of teachers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, 3.8% reported high levels of depersonalization, and 22.3% reported low levels of personal accomplishment. Behavior type, specifically type-A behavior, was associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion. The most important factors associated with burnout were work–life characteristics and job-demand-control model of occupational stress. Conclusions: Our study shows a low prevalence of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in teachers in the Republic of Srpska before the beginning of the new school year. Since similar studies show a high prevalence of burnout at the end of the school year, a potential seasonality of this syndrome should be considered and explored further.

Highlights

Burnout syndrome has been in the focus of research since the 1970s as a stressogenic interpersonal reaction at the workplace, defined by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), cynicism/depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (PA) [1]
Type-A behavior is associated with emotional exhaustion, and teachers reporting higher job strain and work-life conflict have higher scores on the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scales, and lower scores on the personal accomplishment scale
Burnout was significantly associated with work-life characteristics and the job demand-control model of occupational stress, while socio-demographic variables and behavior types were less significant

Summary

Introduction

Burnout syndrome has been in the focus of research since the 1970s as a stressogenic interpersonal reaction at the workplace, defined by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), cynicism/depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (PA) [1]. The research of this syndrome came into focus primarily due to the consequences it can produce on the health of the workers, leading to an economic cost for the employers and the country itself [1,2,3,4]. Working environment factors are a significant contributor to burnout syndrome. Not all employees sharing the working environment develop burnout syndrome, which underlines

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