Occupational burnout and its overlapping effect with depression and anxiety

Abstract

Objectives: The problem of defining burnout concerns its overlapping effect with other syndromes and disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, some individual characteristics influence susceptibility to burnout (e.g., neuroticism). Therefore, the question arises whether burnout is or is not a distinct syndrome. The aim of the study is to compare 2 distinct burnout measures by analyzing their connections with organizational and individual variables. Material and methods: The study was conducted in the Institute of Applied Psychology at the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland on a group of employees (N = 100; 40 men; mean age 36.03 years). All participants completed 2 burnout scales: the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ). Organizational and individual factors were controlled with Areas of Worklife Survey, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, NEO Five-Factor Inventory and Beck’s Depression Inventory scales. A structural equation path model was created to quantify the relations between organizational factors and burnout, as well as to control the individual factors of anxiety, neuroticism and depression. Results: The results indicate high compatibility between MBI-GS and LBQ on burnout diagnosis. The MBI-GS and LBQ revealed stronger connections with organizational context and individual characteristics, respectively. Depression explains dimensions of exhaustion (MBI-GS, LBQ), sense of disillusion (LBQ), neuroticism–exhaustion (MBI-GS); anxiety explains sense of professional inefficacy (LBQ). Conclusions: Besides organizational variables, individual characteristics also play an important role in explaining burnout syndrome. Exploring the 2 burnout models has revealed that depression is an important determinant of exhaustion. Cynicism and relationship deterioration have consistently been explained only by organizational context. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(2):229–44

Authors and Affiliations

Krystyna Golonka, Justyna Mojsa-Kaja, Mateusz Blukacz, Magda Gawłowska, Tadeusz Marek

Keywords

Related Articles

Assessing the impact of certain exercises on the spatial head posture

Objectives: The head constitutes 6% of the total body weight, which is linked to the cervical spine and all other joints through the kinematic chain by various muscles. The forward head posture is one of the most common...

Personal risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in female visual display unit workers

Objectives: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, which since the beginning of the seventies has been linked to the keyboard and visual display unit (VDU). The objective of this study...

Authors’ response (September 1, 2017) to the letter to the Editor concerning the paper “Impact of electromagnetic radiation emitted by monitors on changes in the cellular membrane structure and protective antioxidant effect of vitamin A – In vitro study”

Refers to: Mortazavi SMJ. Letter to the Editor (July 26, 2017) concerning the paper “Impact of electromagnetic radiation emitted by monitors on changes in the cellular membrane structure and protective antioxidant effect...

The awareness of caregivers about their children’s exposure to ionizing radiation accompanying medical procedures: the assessment study

Objectives: The aim of the study was a survey-based assessment concerning parents of children undergoing CT examinations and their knowledge of detailed information about procedures involved in imaging diagnostics. Mater...

Influenece of the CPRmeter on angular position of elbows and generated forces during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Objectives: It is commonly known that ergonomics in emergency medical services (EMS) is very important. Emergency medical services workers are exposed to different conditions and they should perform a variety of tasks. M...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP520131
  • DOI 10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01323
  • Views 71
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Krystyna Golonka, Justyna Mojsa-Kaja, Mateusz Blukacz, Magda Gawłowska, Tadeusz Marek (2019). Occupational burnout and its overlapping effect with depression and anxiety. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 32(2), 229-244. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-520131