Job stress and employee well‐being: a cross‐cultural empirical study

This study examined the relationship between job stress and employee well‐being among teachers in Canada and Pakistan. Job stress was operationalized in terms of perceived experiences at the job which were chronic in nature. Employee well‐being was operationalized in terms of burnout and its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, lack of accomplishment and depersonalization), intrinsic motivation, job involvement and turnover intention. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from teachers in metropolitan cities in Canada (N=420) and Pakistan (N=335). Pearson correlation and moderated multiple regression were used to analyze the data. In both countries, job stress was significantly related to a number of well‐being variables. Moderated multiple regression did not support the role of gender as a moderator of the stress–well‐being relationship. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Burnout,stress and health of employees on non‐standard work schedules: a study of Canadian workers

This study examined the relationship between non‐standard work schedules (shift work and weekend work) and job burnout, stress and psychosomatic health problems among full‐time employed Canadians in a large metropolitan city on the east coast. Data were collected by means of a structured mail back questionnaire (N = 376). Employees involved with weekend work reported significantly higher emotional exhaustion, job stress and psychosomatic health problems than employees not involved with weekend work. Similarly, employees on non‐standard work shifts (other than fixed day shift, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) reported significantly higher overall burnout, emotional exhaustion, job stress and health problems than employees on a fixed day shift. Results from two‐way ANOVA indicated that employees involved with weekend work and non‐fixed day shifts reported significantly higher emotional exhaustion and health problems than other employees. Implications of the findings are discussed for future researchers in light of employee well‐being and non‐standard work schedules. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The level of burnout in a group of dental research assistants

Working as doctor or dentist may entail higher levels of burnout than experienced by the general population. Maslach Burnout Inventory, evaluates emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. This article presents data conserning levels and sources of burnout in dental research assistants taking postgraduate education in two dental schools in Turkey. One, a new school and the other, an established school. In this study we aimed to investigate if there was an association between the level of burnout and sociodemographic factors and to measure the level of burnout in dental research assistants. Seventy‐eight dental research assistants working in two different dental schools participated in the study. Sociodemographic data were obtained. Sociodemographic characteristics were not significantly different between the two dental schools. In addition, there were statistically significant differences between the two schools in personal accomplishment, depersonalization and work related strain, but no significant difference in emotional exhaustion. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Validation of a single‐item measure of burnout against the Maslach Burnout Inventory among physicians

The measurement of burnout among physicians is important because physician well‐being has the potential to affect workforce stability and quality of care. In this study, a single‐item measure of burnout was validated against the sub‐scales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). Survey items included the 22‐item Maslach Burnout Inventory, a single‐item measure of burnout, and other questions regarding demographics, practice characteristics, and occupational satisfaction. The surveys were mailed to Texas Tech University School of Medicine Alumni classes of 1980–1989. The response rate was 43 per cent (n = 307). Pearson correlation coefficients and ANOVA were used to determine the association between the Maslach Burnout Inventory scores and the single‐item burnout question. The single‐item was correlated at r = 0.64 (p < 0.0001) with emotional exhaustion and the ANOVA yielded an R² of 0.5 (p < 0.0001). Hence, in surveys of physicians where emotional exhaustion is the primary sub‐scale of interest, a single‐item measure of burnout may be used as an alternative to the Maslach Burnout Inventory in order to abbreviate survey material and potentially increase response rates among physicians. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short communication: Occupational stress and burnout among South African medical practitioners

The aim of this study was to identify job stress and burnout symptoms among randomly selected South African medical practitioners from a national survey. The sample included 402 doctors, 59.5 per cent male and 40.5 per cent female. The majority were Whites (59.3 per cent), followed by African Black (21.3 per cent), and Asians (14 per cent). Results showed that the overall job stress index indicated with 4.9, high job stress levels among the doctors. High severity job stress ratings included (1) fellow workers not doing their job, (2) inadequate salary and (3) covering work for another employee and high frequency of job stress, (4) working overtime, making critical on‐the‐spot decisions and dealing with crisis situations. Female doctors felt significantly more lack of support on job stress severity than male doctors. High levels of burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) were found among doctors. Job stress predicted emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but not personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion was associated with female doctors and personal accomplishment was significantly related to male doctors. White doctors reported more job stress and also burnout symptoms than doctors with colour. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Bifactor Model of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI‐HSS)—An Alternative Measurement Model of Burnout

The purpose of the present study was to examine the construct validity of the Hungarian language version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI‐HSS). A sample of 653 healthcare professionals (420 physicians and 233 nurses and nursing assistants) completed the MBI‐HSS. A series of confirmatory factor analyses showed that a hierarchical bifactor model including a global burnout factor and three specific factors of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment had the closest fit to the data, compared with an alternative second‐order three‐factor hierarchical model as well as to non‐hierarchical one‐factor, two‐factor, three‐factor, four‐factor and five‐factor models. However, only the global burnout factor and the specific personal accomplishment factor explained a considerable unique proportion of variance in observed scores. Our study confirms the validity of the MBI‐HSS and suggests an alternative structural model, which may contribute to further understanding of the burnout construct. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Educators Survey among elementary and secondary school teachers in Cyprus

Burnout is described as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with other people in some capacity. The present research examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of Maslach, Jackson and Leiter's (1996) educators' burnout measure, the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Educators Survey (MBI‐ES), in a sample of 771 Greek Cypriot teachers. Results, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques, support the three factor structure of the construct which was tested against alternative models. Other psychometric qualities are also very satisfactory. Findings are compared to the published normative data for the MBI. Female teachers appear more emotionally exhausted than their male counterparts. Primary school teachers scored higher on emotional exhaustion, but depersonalization was higher among secondary school teachers. Overall, the results suggest that the Greek MBI represents a valid and reliable adaptation of the instrument, which can be confidently used to measure burnout. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Job stress and coping: self-employed versus organizationally employed professionals

In order to examine job stress and coping among self‐employed and organizationally employed professionals, job‐related stressors and coping strategies were assessed among self‐employed (n = 149) and organizationally employed (n = 159) professionals working as accountants, lawyers, pharmacists and psychologists. Results indicate that although self‐employed workers complained about lack of security and organizationally employed workers complained about lack of autonomy, no differences were found in overall stress levels or overload. Examination of workers' coping strategies provided a partial explanation for these findings. Stress levels negatively correlated with active coping and positively correlated with passive/avoidance coping; self‐employed workers were found to cope by confronting problems, whereas organizationally employed workers were found to cope by avoiding them. These findings qualify previous research findings on self‐employed and organizationally employed workers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prevalence of burnout among anesthesiologists at Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena de Sevilla

Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lowered sense of professional accomplishment, is a consequence of chronic stress. Few studies have been published on burnout in anesthesiology even though this specialty is considered particularly stressful. We surveyed members of the department of anesthesiology and postoperative care in our hospital, using an anonymous questionnaire including items on social and personal characteristics and the Spanish language version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Forty-valid questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 69.4%. Mean (SD) scores were 19.5 (9.5) points for emotional exhaustion, 7.4 (5.5) for depersonalization, and 32.5 (9.1) for professional accomplishment. We detected high levels of emotional exhaustion in 19.5% of the anesthesiologists and of depersonalization in 31.7%. Scores reflecting low levels of sense of personal accomplishment were recorded for 41.4%. Scores for concern on at least 1 subscale were noted for 58.3% of the anesthesiologists, on 2 subscales for 21.8%, and on 3 subscales for 12.1%. No significant differences were detected in relation to gender, age, stage in professional life, or employment status. Burnout levels in our department are similar to those reported for anesthesiologists in other countries and detectably lower than those of other specialties in Spain.     

Effect of the 80-hour workweek on resident burnout

HYPOTHESIS: With the introduction of the newly mandated restrictions on resident work hours, we expected improvement in subjective feelings of personal accomplishment and lessened emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. DESIGN: Residents and faculty members completed an anonymous online Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (3rd ed; Consulting Psychologist Press Inc, Palo Alto, Calif) and work-hour registry before and after implementation of new restrictions. SETTING: Urban, university-based department of surgery. PARTICIPANTS: All house staff (n = 37) and faculty (n = 27). INTERVENTION: Introduction of new Institutional Standards for Resident Duty Hours 2003.Main Outcome Measure Resident work hours and levels of emotional exhaustion, perceived degree of depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. RESULTS: Resident work hours per week decreased from 100.7 to 82.6 (P < .05) with introduction of the new schedule. Home call and formal educational activity time within working hours (eg, clinical conferences) significantly (P < .05) decreased from 11.5 and 4.8 hours to 4.6 and 2.5 hours per week, respectively. Operating room hours, clinic time, and duration of rounds did not show a significant change. Changes in parameters of resident and faculty emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment did not show statistical significance (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite successful reductions in resident work hours, measures of burnout were not significantly affected. However, important clinical activities such as time spent in the operating room, clinic, and making rounds were maintained. Formal in-hospital education time was reduced.     

Burnout among Plastic Surgery Residents in India: An Observational Study

Introduction  Burnout syndrome can be defined as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and perceived lack of personal accomplishment, all of which lead to decreased effectiveness at work. The Medscape burnout and depression report of 2018 suggests that the burnout range across various specialties ranges from 23 to 48%. There are no studies to assess the burnout among plastic surgery residents in India. This study is an attempt to assess the same. Materials and Methods  An online survey was conducted in March and April 2019 for plastic surgery residents across India. Various parameters including those related to gender, year of the curriculum, hobbies, exercise, and marital status were assessed. There were multiple sections in the survey, which included the demographic details, stress-related variables, and the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory is a validated scale that has been used to assess the burnout among plastic surgery residents in India. The three subscales, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment were measured on a Likert scale. Univariable and multivariable analysis of factors associated with burnout was performed. Results  Of the 185 respondents, 48.4% experienced moderate-to-high burnout. Of these, 25% ( n = 46) were above the 75th centile of the overall burnout score, indicating severe burnout. Insufficient faculty involvement, insufficient time allotted for formalized teaching, conflict with colleagues, and lack of adequate support staff correlated with resident burnout on multivariate analysis. Residents who pursued their hobbies or performed physical activities for exercise had significantly lesser burnout. Conclusion  The incidence of burnout in plastic surgery residents surveyed in our study was 48.4%. The faculty of the departments and the residents themselves, as well as the governing bodies, all have a role to play to address the issue of burnout among residents. Dedicated and persistent efforts toward improving physical and psychological well-being of plastic surgery residents will positively impact not only the well-being of the residents but also the quality of patient care.     

Burnout and depressive symptoms in teachers: Factor structure and construct validity of the Maslach Burnout inventory‐educators survey among elementary and secondary school teachers in Hungary

This study validated the Hungarian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educators Survey on a sample of n = 211 elementary and secondary teachers. To test factorial validity, we ran a series of confirmatory analysis with eight models. The best fitting model was the bifactor model with general burnout and three specific factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Analyzing the covariates revealed that gender and age were not associated with burnout, but depressive symptoms and overcommitment had a significant relationship with general burnout, and overcommitment was related to emotional exhaustion as well.     

Perceived Reciprocity and Well‐Being at Work in Non‐Professional Employees: Fairness or Self‐Interest?

This article assesses the links between non‐professional employees' perceptions of reciprocity in their relationships with their supervisors and the positive and negative sides of employees' well‐being at work: burnout and engagement. Two hypotheses were explored. First, the fairness hypothesis assumes a curvilinear relationship where balanced reciprocity (when the person perceives that there is equilibrium between his/her efforts and the benefits he/she receives) presents the highest level of well‐being. Second, the self‐interest hypothesis proposes a linear pattern where over‐benefitted situations for employees (when the person perceives that he/she is receiving more than he/she deserves) increase well‐being. One study with two independent samples was conducted. The participants were 349 employees in 59 hotels (sample 1) and 690 employees in 89 centres providing attention to people with mental disabilities (sample 2). Linear and curvilinear regression models supported the self‐interest hypothesis for the links from reciprocity to burnout and engagement. We conclude with theoretical implications and opportunities for future research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Burnout levels of hemodialysis nurses

Background: Previous studies have found significant stressors experienced by nurses working in hemodialysis units. The purpose of this study was to determine the burnout levels of hemodialysis nurses working in hemodialysis units and their relation with some sociodemographic variables. Methods: The study was conducted between July 2012 and Sept 2012 in hemodialysis units of four hospitals, including one university, one public and two private hospitals, in the province of Erzurum. The population of the study consisted of 32 nurses rendering service in hemodialysis units of the related hospitals. Information forms, which were prepared by researchers in accordance with the literature, and aimed at determining the personal characteristics of nurses and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used for the data collection. Results: Examining mean scores obtained by nurses from the Maslach Burnout Inventory, it is observed that they scored 17.07?±?8.29 from subscale of emotional exhaustion, 5.89?±?4.13 from subscale of depersonalization and 20.64?±?4.10 from subscale of personal accomplishment. Conclusion: The results of the study revealed that nurses working in hemodialysis units experience a medium-level burnout in terms of subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a high-level burnout in terms of the subscale of personal accomplishment.     

A Longitudinal Analysis of Burnout in Middle and High School Korean Teachers

This study examines longitudinal relationships among three burnout dimensions in middle and high school teachers. For this study, 419 middle and high school teachers participated in a panel survey, which was conducted in three waves. Using Amos 7.0, we performed autoregressive cross‐lagged modeling to obtain a complete picture of the longitudinal relationships among the three factors of the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Educator Survey. Results indicated that the paths from emotional exhaustion at Time1 and Time2 to depersonalization at Time2 and Time3 were statistically significant. In addition, the paths from personal accomplishment at Time1 and Time2 to depersonalization at Time2 and Time3 were also statistically significant. Empirically identifying the process by which burnout occurs could help practitioners and policy makers to design burnout prevention strategies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chronic Work Stress and Depressive Symptoms: Assessing the Mediating Role of Teacher Burnout

A conceptual model of the relationship between stress, the mediating role of burnout, and depressive symptoms was examined. Results indicated that teachers (n = 267) experiencing greater stress were more burned out. The subscale emotional exhaustion was moderately related to depressive symptoms, whereas depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment had small positive relationships. After controlling for burnout and demographics, the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms was small but significant. Emotional exhaustion mediated the association between stress and depressive symptoms. The total effect of stress on depressive symptoms, taking together the direct and indirect effects via burnout, accounted for 43% of the total variance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personal and organizational outcomes related to job stress and Type‐A behavior: a study of Canadian and Chinese employees

This study examined the relationship of job stress, Type‐A behavior and its two components (time pressure and hard driving/competitiveness) with burnout, health problems, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover motivation among employees in Canada (N = 535) and mainland China (N = 685). Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from Canadian employees in Montreal and Chinese employees in Beijing. Pearson correlation and moderated multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Job stress, global Type‐A and its two components were significantly related to a number of dependant variables in both countries. Some support for differential effects of Type‐A behavior components was found primarily in the Canadian sample. Implications of findings are discussed for cross‐cultural research. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Avoiding burnout in an orthopaedic trauma practice

SUMMARY:: Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased sense of personal accomplishment, and burnout has been very tightly linked with career dissatisfaction and other associated negative personal and professional consequences. Recently published studies indicate that among surgeons and surgical specialists, burnout is common, and that at least in some groups of surgeons, it has significant negative consequences for their practice and career. It is concerning that studies have found younger surgeons were at greater risk for burnout. There is no data on rates of, or risk for, burnout specifically for orthopaedic trauma surgeons. However, there are several reasons to expect the risk may be significant, including demanding call schedules and difficult to control work schedules. There are some common-sense guidelines to minimize the chances of burnout in the early stages of an orthopaedic trauma career. One of the most important is to set up a work schedule that allows personal pursuits, including time with significant other and family away from work. Achieving and maintaining a balance between work and home will optimize the chances of achieving the tremendous satisfaction possible in an orthopaedic trauma career and minimize the chances of burnout.     

Introducing new technology into the operating room: measuring the impact on job performance and satisfaction

BACKGROUND: The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Operating Room of the Future (ORF) project is a test site for evaluating new surgical technologies and processes. Here we evaluate the effect on staff satisfaction and burnout of introducing a set of new technologies. METHODS: Staff satisfaction and burnout were measured via sequential surveys based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory during the introduction of a new technology system. Functional behavior of the OR was measured in terms of flow time (time to transit the OR) and wait time (time to access the OR). These data were gathered using time-motion analysis methods. RESULTS: Significant functional improvements were found in the ORF (more than 35% reduction in flow time and wait time, P < .05). During the same period, more exposure to the ORF resulted in greater sense of personal accomplishment among surgeons, a worse sense of personal accomplishment among nurses, more emotional exhaustion among surgeons, and less emotional exhaustion among nurses. However, the responses for emotional exhaustion were reversed the greater the time from exposure to the ORF. Staff with 6 to 10 years' experience were at highest risk for burnout across all categories. General surgeons experienced more emotional exhaustion than other physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Tracking the response of all users and identifying groups at high risk for burnout when exposed to new systems should be a central part of any new technology project.     

Burnout as an important factor in the psychophysiological responses to a work day in Teachers

Burnout syndrome is an important psychosocial risk in the job context, especially in professions with a strong social interaction, as in the case of teaching. This study analyses the role of burnout in the psychophysiological responses to a work day in teachers. High burnout was related to worse mood, and higher perceived stress throughout the work day. Moreover, burnout is positively related to systolic blood pressure and negatively related to salivary cortisol levels at the beginning of the work day. Higher scores of burnout in teachers are also related to lower heart rate in the middle of the work day. The psychophysiological responses to a work day are specifically associated with the different burnout subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). Men presented higher diastolic blood pressure than women at the beginning and the middle of the work day. Burnout could induce an alteration in mood together with a dysregulation of the cardiovascular activity and the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenocortical axis functioning in response to a work day in teachers. Moreover, our results offer different burnout‐dependent patterns of relationships between psychological, cardiovascular and cortisol responses, and they suggest that gender plays a moderator role in the cardiovascular response to a work day. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.