Burnout Group Research Articles

Do values reflect what is important? Exploring the nexus between work values, work engagement and job burnout

PurposeWork values are a representation of people’s priorities as they reflect what is pertinent for them and what they want to accomplish. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to understand the priorities given to work values (extrinsic and intrinsic) by employees and also to explore whether these work values vary with the levels of work engagement and job burnout.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on the survey responses of 386 officers working in Indian manufacturing organisations engaged in different areas.FindingsThe findings reveal that security officers give much priority to extrinsic work values than intrinsic work values (IWVs). Moreover, IWVs vary with different levels of work engagement along with job burnout. The security officers belonging to the engaged group differ significantly with those belonging to the job burnout group in terms of IWVs. Moreover, work values also have a negative correlation with job burnout and a positive correlation with work engagement.Originality/valueThis study explores the variation in work values of security officers working in Indian manufacturing organisations with changes in levels of job burnout and work engagement, which is a novel contribution in the field. The findings also advocate that it is crucial for human resource managers, supervisors and key people in organisations to find out employees showing early signs of job burnout (exhaustion or disengagement) or early stages of strain and frustration as the priorities of work values of the employees are affected by these parameters. Such identified employees should be provided with required managerial support and necessary work resources immediately.

Auditory deviance detection and involuntary attention allocation in occupational burnout-A follow-up study.

Here, we investigated the central auditory processing and attentional control associated with both recovery and prolongation of occupational burnout. We recorded the event-related brain potentials N1, P2, mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a to nine changes in speech sounds and to three rarely presented emotional (happy, angry and sad) utterances from individuals with burnout (N = 16) and their matched controls (N = 12). After the 5 years follow-up, one control had acquired burnout, half (N = 8) of the burnout group had recovered, and the other half (prolonged burnout) still had burnout. The processing of acoustical changes in speech sounds was mainly intact. Prolongation of the burnout was associated with a decrease in MMN amplitude and an increase in P3a amplitude for the happy stimulus. The results suggest that, in the absence of interventions, burnout is a persistent condition, associated with alterations of attentional control, that may be amplified with the prolongation of the condition.

Role of NR3C1 and SLC6A4 methylation in the HPA axis regulation in burnout

BackgroundWork-related stress and burnout have become major occupational health concerns. Dysregulation of HPA axis is considered one of the central mechanisms and is potentially moderated through epigenetics. In the present study, we aim to investigate epigenetic regulation of the HPA axis in burnout, by focusing on salivary cortisol and cortisone and DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) and the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4). MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study with 59 subjects with burnout and 70 healthy controls recruited from the general population. All participants underwent a clinical interview and psychological assessment. Saliva samples were collected at 0, 30 and 60 min after awakening and were used to quantify cortisol and cortisone. Pyrosequencing was performed on whole blood-derived DNA to assess DNA methylation. ResultsThere were no between-group differences in cortisol levels, whereas burnout participants had higher levels of cortisone. Job stress was associated with increased cortisol and cortisone. We observed both increased and decreased NR3C1 and SLC6A4 methylation in the burnout group compared to the control group. Some of these methylation changes correlated with burnout symptoms dimensionally. Increased methylation in a specific CpG in the SLC6A4 promoter region moderated the association between job stress and burnout. DNA methylation in this CpG was also associated with increased cortisol. In addition, average methylation of NR3C1 was negatively associated with cortisone levels. LimitationsThis is a cross-sectional study and therefore no conclusions on causality could be made. ConclusionsWe provide first evidence of changes in DNA methylation of NR3C1 and SLC6A4 in burnout, which were further associated with cortisol and cortisone. Further, increased cortisol and cortisone seemed to reflect job stress rather than burnout itself.

Mindfulness improves health worker's occupational burnout: the moderating effects of anxiety and depression.

This study aims to test whether health workers experiencing both depression, anxiety and burnout would show severer burnout symptoms, and the potential moderating effect of anxiety and depression on mindfulness improving burnout. This study was conducted in a comprehensive hospital of China in 2016. A total of 924 healthcare professionals were included in this cross-sectional study with a response rate of 82.0%. Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Perceived Stress Scale and Short Inventory of Mindfulness Capability were used to measure burnout, depression, anxiety, perceived stress and mindfulness. Univariate analysis, correlation analysis, mediation analysis and moderated mediation analysis were conducted. Burnout and anxiety group (BA) and burnout and depression group (BD) reported significantly higher burnout scores compared to the burnout-only group (BO) (59.90 ± 15.700, 56.20 ± 13.190, and 49.99 ± 11.955, respectively). Perceived stress was a mediator between mindfulness and occupational burnout, and depression and anxiety significantly moderated the mediation path between mindfulness and occupational burnout (β for stress in moderated mediation models with depression and anxiety respectively: β = 1.8088, p < 0.001, and β = 1.7908, p < 0.001). For participants who experienced a high level of depression, less occupational burnout was reduced as mindfulness increased. Indirect effect of mindfulness reducing occupational burnout was greater among participants who experienced less anxiety. Depression and anxiety weakened the mindfulness ability on relieving occupational burnout, which could be the potential mechanism of the worsening effect of depression and anxiety.

Modifiable risk factors for burnout in vascular surgery trainees

ObjectiveBurnout is prevalent among vascular surgery trainees. Here we aim to identify modifiable risk factors for burnout in vascular surgery training, to facilitate the development of programs to enhance and sustain trainee well-being. MethodsThe Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery issued the Annual Training survey in the fall of 2018 to all trainees. The survey contained items to assess frequency of burnout, as well as mentorship, training environment, and stress coping mechanisms using an abbreviated COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) inventory. ResultsOf 628 surveys issued, the response rate was 30% (n = 188). Respondents indicated that the majority of programs offer mentorship opportunities (n = 150 [83%]) that are longitudinal throughout the duration of training (n = 140 [77%]). Fifty-eight percent (n = 109) indicated there was an appropriate balance between learning and productivity in their program, with more respondents leaning toward too much clinical productivity (n = 57) and fewer toward too much learning (n = 19). Forty-five percent of respondents indicated feeling burnout at least weekly (n = 81). The burnout group was less likely to report an appropriate balance between clinical productivity and learning (49.4% vs 67.7%; P < .001), as well as a lower frequency of mentorship opportunities (72.1% vs 92.7%; P < .001). Certain coping skills were used more frequently in the burnout group, including self-distraction, disengagement, humor, self-blame, and substance use. In multivariate analysis, frequent use of self-blame conferred a 9.847-fold increased risk (95% confidence interval, 2.114-45.871) of burnout (P = .003), while feeling appropriately challenged by the faculty was significantly protective (odds ratio for burnout, 0.158; 95% confidence interval, 0.031-0.820; P = .03). ConclusionsThe protective effect against vascular surgery trainee burnout conferred by the availability of mentorship suggests that an expansion and emphasis on mentorship in training may help to mitigate trainee burnout. Mentorship may also be a suitable channel to assess for an appropriate level of challenge, as well as for an appropriate balance between clinical productivity and learning that, when present, are also protective against burnout. Furthermore, the correlation between the frequent use of certain coping skills and burnout highlight this as an area for intervention, potentially through a combination of mentor modeling and formal training on healthy stress-related coping strategies.

Factors Influencing Job Burnout and Musculoskeletal Disorders among Coal Miners in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Background Work-related musculoskeletal diseases (WMSDs) have been associated with job burnout. Currently, few studies have investigated the relationship between job burnout and WMSDs among coal miners. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 1,325 staff were selected from 6 coal mining companies using a stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of “Musculoskeletal Questionnaire” and “Occupational Burnout Scale” were used to investigate the link between WMSDs and job burnout. Logistic regression was conducted to analyze the factors influencing WMSDs. Results A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed, with a response rate of 88.33%. The prevalence of WMSDs in coal miners was 65.58%, while the prevalence of total, mild, moderate, and severe burnout were 90%, 39.77%, 43.77%, and 6.49%, respectively. The average score for job burnout was 50.78 ± 11.93. The prevalence of WMSDs among coal miners varied significantly with the length of service (χ2=14.493, P=0.001), type of work (χ2=11.438, P=0.022), shift system (χ2=6.462, P=0.040), and annual income (χ2=6.315, P=0.043). The proportions of male coal miners with moderate and severe burnout were 45.1% and 6.8%, respectively, which were higher compared with 28.6% and 2.9%, respectively, for women. The proportion of male coal miners with mild burnout was 38.1%, which was lower compared with 59.0% for women (P < 0.05). Coal miners who work more than two shifts had the highest burnout, while those who work day shifts had the lowest burnout (P < 0.001). The prevalence of WMSDs in the severe burnout group and in 9 body locations was significantly higher than that in other burnout groups (P < 0.001). Logistic regression results showed that length of service, type of work, annual income, and burnout level are associated with WMSDs among coal miners (P < 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of job burnout and WMSDs among coal miners in Xinjiang is relatively high. Job burnout is a risk factor for WMSDs among coal miners.

Burnout and its correlates among nursing staff of intensive care units at a tertiary care center.

Background:Burnout syndrome has been widely reported in nursing staff. It is more pronounced in intensive care setting (up to 80%). This survey was designed to assess the prevalence of burnout and its correlates among critical care nurses.Methods:Anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all ICU nursing staff of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Questionnaire had 25 questions covering – demography, job characteristics, Visual Analogue Scale for stress, co-worker support, work–life balance, question for measuring burnout, job satisfaction, turnover intention, organizational commitment, for depression screening and psychosomatic symptoms. The burnout scale score was used to dichotomize into low burnout (<3) or high burnout (> = 3) group. These two groups were compared using Chi-square test, Fischer's exact test for categorical variables and independent t-test for continuous variables. Significant variables were entered in multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:Out of 150 ICU nurses, 125 (83.3%) gave completely filled questionnaires which were evaluated. 47 (37.6%) participants reported experiencing high burnout. Binary logistic regression model revealed that lack of specialized ICU training (OR = 4.28, 95% CI: 1.62 to 11.34, P = 0.003), performing extra duty in last month (OR = 5.28, 95% CI: 1.90 to 14.67, P = 0.001), High physical symptoms in last 12 months (OR = 4.73, 95% CI: 1.56 to 14.36, P = 0.006) and mid-level experience (1–5 years) were significantly associated with burnout.Conclusions:Burnout is significantly prevalent (37.6%) among intensive care nurses. Specialized training and limiting work hours can help in mitigating this problem. High frequency of physical symptoms could be early indicators of burnout.

Prevalence, Related Factors, and Levels of Burnout Among Midwives: A Systematic Review.

Burnout refers to a constellation of feelings of exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment that develops secondary to long-term occupational stress. Several studies have identified that health care professionals are a high-risk occupational group for burnout, but knowledge about this syndrome among midwives has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the prevalence and levels of burnout among midwives and analyze the related factors. The following databases were searched: CINAHL, LILACS, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, SciELO, and Scopus. Any date of publication was acceptable. Literature from different countries was included. Studies were appraised for quality following the recommendations of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The literature review identified 27 studies with a total of N = 5612 midwives. The main factors related to burnout were working conditions such as work overload, lack of autonomy, and professional recognition. Midwives who had less than 10 years of experience were more vulnerable to burnout than those who had more than 10 years' experience. With regard to the subcategories of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and perceived personal achievement), midwives who did not live with a partner were more vulnerable low levels of personal accomplishment when compared with midwives who were living with a partner. The most significant protective factors against burnout were good leadership and the use of continuity models of care. Midwives had moderate levels of emotional exhaustion and low levels of personal accomplishment. Working conditions were identified as the main modifiable factors related to burnout syndrome. Intervention programs for midwives should be aimed at reducing emotional exhaustion and enhancing personal accomplishment.

Does academic practice protect emergency physicians against burnout?

Burnout is a complex syndrome thought to result from long‐term exposure to career‐related stressors. Physicians are at higher risk for burnout than the general United States (US) working population, and emergency medicine has some of the highest burnout rates of any medical specialty. Burnout impacts physicians’ quality of life, but it can also increase medical errors and negatively affect patient safety. Several studies have reported lower burnout rates and higher job satisfaction in academic medicine as compared with private practice. However, researchers have only begun to explore the factors that underlie this protective effect. This paper aims to review existing literature to identify specific aspects of academic practice in emergency medicine that may be associated with lower physician burnout rates and greater career satisfaction. Broadly, it appears that spending time in the area of emergency medicine one finds most meaningful has been associated with reduced physician burnout. Certain non‐clinical academic work, including involvement in research, leadership, teaching, and mentorship, have been identified as specific activities that may protect against burnout and contribute to higher job satisfaction. Given the epidemic of physician burnout, hospitals and practice groups have a responsibility to address burnout, both by prevention and by early recognition and support. We discuss methods by which organizations can actively foster physician well‐being and provide examples of 2 leading academic institutions that have developed comprehensive programs to promote physician wellness and prevent burnout.

Secondary traumatic stress, burnout and compassion satisfaction among Flemish foster care workers during the COVID-19 lockdown

This study examines secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout and compassion satisfaction (CS) in Flemish foster care workers (FCW) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Even though child welfare workers are at increased risk for STS and burnout, these constructs have not been studied in FCW so far. Additionally, the COVID-19 measures severely impacted Flemish FCW’s work, personal and client environment, possibly stimulating the onset of STS and burnout and weakening CS. Moreover, this study aims to identify the work, client and personal factors determining high levels of STS and burnout and low levels of CS among FCW during the lockdown. STS, burnout and CS levels from 434 Flemish FCW were inquired with the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Low mean levels of STS and moderate mean levels of burnout and CS were reported during the lockdown. FCW who experienced a negative impact of COVID-19 measures on their work, had a high amount of worrisome placements due to birth parents in their caseload and low emotional stability are an at-risk group for both STS and burnout during the lockdown. CS was strongly determined by the impact of the COVID-19 measures on work and personality traits. Emotional stability determined the three outcome variables, making this a key characteristics for FCW during the lockdown. Consequently, during adverse circumstances, foster care agencies should pay extra attention and offer additional support to those FCW they estimate emotionally less stable and who struggle with the birth parents in their caseload.

Epigenetic perspective on the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in burnout

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a potential role in the neurobiology of burnout, but there are no studies investigating the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Our aim is to further explore the role of BDNF in burnout, by focusing on the Val66Met polymorphism and methylation patterns of the BDNF gene and serum BDNF (sBDNF) protein expression. We conducted a cross-sectional study by recruiting 129 individuals (59 with burnout and 70 healthy controls). Participants underwent a clinical interview, psychological assessment and blood sample collection. Polymorphism and DNA methylation were measured on DNA from whole blood, using pyrosequencing and sBDNF levels were measured using ELISA. We found significantly increased methylation of promoter I and IV in the burnout group, which also correlated with burnout symptoms. In addition, DNA methylation of promoter I had a significant negative effect on sBDNF. For DNA methylation of exon IX, we did not find a significant difference between the groups, nor associations with sBDNF. The Val66Met polymorphism neither differed between groups, nor was it associated with sBDNF levels. Finally, we did not observe differences in sBDNF level between the groups. Interestingly, we observed a significant negative association between depressive symptoms and sBDNF levels. The current study is the first to show that BDNF DNA methylation changes might play an important role in downregulation of the BDNF protein levels in burnout. The presence of depressive symptoms might have an additional impact on these changes.

From Resilience to Burnout: Psychological Features of Italian General Practitioners During COVID-19 Emergency.

During the COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy, general practitioners (GPs) are ensuring continued access to primary care for citizens while also absorbing more of the impact of the crisis than most professional groups. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between dimensions of burnout and various psychological features among Italian GPs during the COVID-19 emergency. A group of 102 GPs completed self-administered questionnaires available online through Google Forms, including Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Resilience Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale Short Form (IU), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Cluster analysis highlighted four distinct burnout risk profiles: Low Burnout, Medium Risk, High Risk, and High Burnout. The High Burnout group showed both lower Resilience and lower CISS Task-oriented coping strategy than the Medium Risk group and higher IU Prospective than the Low Burnout group. Results of a linear regression analysis confirmed that CISS Emotion-oriented style positively predicted MBI Emotional Exhaustion, CISS Task-oriented and Emotion-oriented emerged as significant predictors (negatively and positively, respectively) of MBI Depersonalization, and Resilience positively predicted MBI Personal Accomplishment. In conclusion, the results showed that the COVID-19 emergency had a significant impact on GPs’ work management. Implementing task-oriented problem management, rather than emotional strategies, appears to protect against burnout in these circumstances. It is possible that the emotions related to the pandemic are too intense to be regulated and used productively to manage the professional issues that the COVID-19 pandemic presents.

Inter-relationships between burnout, personality and coping features in residents within an ACGME-I Accredited Psychiatry Residency Program.

Burnout during residency training is associated with various factors. Within the context of stress/coping transactional model in which one's personality can influence stress appraisal and coping, there is limited evidence examining the relationship between burnout and personality factors amongst psychiatry residents. We aim to evaluate the prevalence of burnout within a cohort of psychiatry residents and its relationship with personality factors, demographic, work-related factors and coping features. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 50 out of 77 eligible residents (response rate 64.9%) and administered the Oldenberg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and Brief COPE Inventory. Burnout was defined as crossing the thresholds for exhaustion (≥2.25) and disengagement (≥2.1) scores. We compared the burnout vs nonburnout groups and examined the relationship between burnout, personality factors and coping strategies using correlational and mediational analyses. Overall, 78% of our cohort met criteria for burnout. Burnout was correlated with hours of work per week (rs=.409, P= .008), neuroticism (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.01-1.43, P= .041) and avoidance coping (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.06-2.46, P= .025). Neuroticism was significantly correlated (all P< .001) with all coping domains (Seeking Social Support, rs=0.40; Problem Solving, rs=0.52; Avoidance, rs=0.55; Positive thinking, rs=0.41) and was a partial mediator between avoidance coping and burnout (β of indirect path=0.168, [SE=0.066]; P= .011). We found a considerable burnout rate amongst psychiatry residents which was associated with neuroticism and avoidance coping, and suggest ways to better tackle occupational burnout during residency training.

THE MEDIATOR ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AMID WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND BURNOUT OF EMPLOYEES' IN THE CONTEXT OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION

The aim of this research is investigating the effects of social support and work-life balance on employees' burnout in the context of coronavirus pandemic precautions and social isolation. The sample of the research consists of 422 participants in education, health, public, IT, retailing, service, commerce, tourism, transportation, industry and logistics sectors. The contribution of the research is exploring the relationship between burnout, social support and work-life balance. Findings of the research demonstrate that social support has an effect on work-life balance and also has partially mediating effect amid work-life balance and burnout. Observations suggest that burnout levels of women employees are extensive than men employees. To conclude; work-life balance, social support and burnout group levels differ according to gender whilst no significant difference among work-life balance, social support and burnout group levels according to marital status. As for changes in work life, salary and family life due to COVID-19 outbreak precautions, hypotheses are partly accepted.

Fear of Relationship Loss: Attachment Style as a Vulnerability Factor in Job Burnout.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between attachment styles and various burnout risk groups (“relaxed”, “wornout”, “challenged” and “burnout”) and whether attachment styles suitably discriminate between individual burnout risk groups.MethodThe study involved 2,320 participants (1,668 women and 652 men), who completed an adrenal burnout syndrome questionnaire, a performance-based self esteem scale, a work addiction risk test and a relationship questionnaire.ResultsA one-way analysis of variance confirmed attachment style differences between burnout risk groups. The challenged and burnout groups differed from the relaxed and wornout groups by having a significantly lower secure attachment style score and a higher insecure (avoidant and preoccupied) attachment style score. The canonical discriminant analysis showed that the predictors (secure, preoccupied and avoidant attachment styles) can be used to appropriately classify 85.4% of respondents in the predicted burnout risk groups.ConclusionThe study confirmed the hypothesis that two insecure attachment styles (i.e. avoidant and preoccupied) predominate in the challenged and burnout groups, and that a secure attachment style predominates in the relaxed and wornout groups. Burnout syndrome can thus be conceived as the result of excessive and compulsive efforts to retain a relationship that is perceived as insecure or to reduce (excessive) fear of losing this relationship.

Social demands and resources predict job burnout and engagement profiles among Finnish employees

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: Latent profiles of employees’ job burnout (e.g., exhaustion, cynicism, feelings of inadequacy) and work engagement (e.g., energy, dedication, absorption) were examined. Moreover, the role of social work-related (multicultural, interpersonal, and project work demands) and personal demands (relationship demands) and social work-related resources (servant leadership, team climate) and personal resources (resilience, self-efficacy) in predicting the latent profiles were examined. Design: This study is a part of an Occupational Health Study in which 766 employees participated twice. Methods: The results were analyzed using latent profile analysis. Results: Two longitudinal profiles of burnout and engagement could be identified, namely high engagement (84% of the participants) and increasing burnout (16%) profiles. Employees who experienced high work-related social resources (servant leadership) and high personal resources (resilience, self-efficacy) were more likely to belong to the high engagement group than to the increasing burnout group. Employees who experienced high work-related social demands (multicultural, interpersonal, and project work demands) and personal social demands (relationship demands) more often belonged to the increasing burnout group. Conclusions: Social resources may help in promoting employees’ job engagement, whereas social demands are often associated with increasing burnout symptoms.

Frenetic, Underchallenged, and Worn-Out: Validation of the German “Burnout Clinical Subtypes Questionnaire”—Student Survey and Exploration of Three Burnout Risk Groups in University Students

Against the background of inconsistent findings regarding the symptomatology, etiology, and risk factors of burnout, Farber (1990) proposed three different burnout subtypes: frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out. Montero-Marin and colleagues (2011) expanded the typology to the academic context and developed the Burnout Clinical Subtypes Questionnaire–Student Survey (BCSQ-12-SS) to examine whether three burnout risk groups, that are in line with the typology, exist in university students as well. However, due to a moderate overlap between the BCSQ-12-SS subscales describing different risk groups, it has remained unclear whether three burnout risk groups can indeed be distinguished in university students. Moreover, the BCSQ-12-SS is currently not available in German, limiting the possibility to examine the typology in different student populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate the BCSQ-12-SS for German speaking university students and to investigate whether three burnout risk groups—frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out—can be identified in students using a person-oriented approach. Overall, 404 German speaking university students were recruited and filled in several online questionnaires, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS) and the BCSQ-12-SS that was translated to German for the purpose of this study. The German BCSQ-12-SS had good psychometric properties. Latent profile analysis (LPA) with the BCSQ-12-SS distinguished three burnout risk groups: frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out students, whereby mildly and severely worn-out students could be differentiated. Additionally, a group with healthy engaged students emerged. The groups differed in burnout symptoms, feelings of depression, workload, study engagement, and academic resources. Furthermore, the burnout risk groups could also be distinguished in a subsample of students (n=150) who are particularly vulnerable to develop burnout because they were all moderately to highly stressed. LPA with the MBI-SS resulted in profiles similar to the healthy engaged, frenetic and severely worn-out profile. However, an underchallenged profile was only discovered with the BCSQ-12-SS, indicating that this questionnaire is particularly useful to detect an additional burnout risk group that has widely been overlooked in student burnout research so far. Taken together, this study observed three burnout risk groups in German speaking university students: frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out.

Discriminating low-, medium- and high-burnout nurses: Role of organisational and patient-related factors.

To discriminate low/medium/high burnout in nurses by work and patient-related indicators and explore what factors characterize these categories best. Cross-sectional, online survey with a representative sample of nurses. Measures assessed burnout, intragroup conflict, job insecurity, overt aggression and impact of patient aggression on nurses. Top nurse managers experienced more burnout than middle managers or staff, middle managers also reported greater burnout than staff. Those who had never suffered aggression experienced greater burnout but less intragroup conflict and job insecurity. Staff differed on job insecurity from top and midlevel managers. The first discriminant function differentiated high burnout from medium and low; this function was characterized by exhaustion, aggression and intragroup conflict. The second function differentiated medium burnout from others; job insecurity, years worked, over aggression and overtime dominated this function. Burnout affects managers and staff differently; top managers may be more susceptible to burnout than reported before. Low, medium and high burnout groups require tailored interventions because of their different characteristics. In the future, burnout assessment should focus on both organisational and care related factors. Determining levels of burnout will guide managers to improve the right aspects of practice and work environment.

A cross-sectional study of burnout and its associations with learning environment and learner factors among psychiatry residents within a National Psychiatry Residency Programme

BackgroundMultiple studies have reported high burnout rates among residents, including psychiatry. There is a paucity of studies examining the relationship between burnout and learning context, stress levels, resilience, stigma in...

Psychophysiological Characteristics of Burnout Syndrome: Resting-State EEG Analysis.

Introduction The consequences of chronic work-related stress are related to various emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Occupational burnout as a complex syndrome is characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and lower professional efficacy. Moreover, the growing amount of research on the neural correlates of burnout broadens the existing knowledge on the mechanisms underlying this syndrome. Aim of the Study The aim of the study is to explore possible differences in brain activity between burnout and nonburnout employees. Frequency-specific EEG power analyses in a resting-state condition in burnout subjects and controls are presented. Materials and Methods Burnout employees (N=46; 19 men) were matched with the control group (N=49; 19 men; mean age: 36.14 years, SD=7.89). The Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) scale were used to measure burnout symptoms and work conditions, respectively. A 256-channel EEG (EGI System 300) was used to collect psychophysiological data. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed with condition (eyes-open vs. eyes-closed) and region (6 levels: extracted scalp regions) factors; burnout (2 levels: burnout vs. no burnout) was the grouping factor. Results A significant difference was observed only in the alpha frequency band: the burnout group revealed significantly lower alpha power in the eyes-open condition compared to the controls (p<0.05). The correlation analysis revealed that gender may significantly change the pattern of relations between EEG spectral characteristics and burnout symptoms. Conclusions Reduced alpha power in burnout individuals suggests cortical hyperactivity and may be related to greater mental effort and the possible development of compensatory mechanisms by burnout subjects.