Gender Differences in Burnout

Abstract

While studies of gender differences in burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) report contradictory results, those using the Burnout Measure (BM) indicate a consistent gender difference — women report higher levels of burnout in both their work and their marriages. The present study examined gender differences in burnout among Israelis due to the Palestinian intifada. Ninety seven women and 94 men from six political groups took part in the study. Participants responded to the BM as well as to questions about stresses that were related to their burnout and their ways of coping with it. A two-way analysis of variance (gender by group) indicated that while there was a significant difference among the six groups in levels of burnout, there was no gender difference. However, there were some differences in coping with burnout. The findings are interpreted as supporting an existential perspective on burnout.