Symptoms of distress when suffering from burnout: a comparison between the traditional and typological definitions of the syndrome

Montero-Marin, J. ; Tops, M. ; Prado-Abril, J. ; Puebla-Guedea, M. ; Yus, M.C.P. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Montoyo, A.L. ; Garcia Campayo, J. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Objective: To compare the structure and explanatory power of the traditional and the subtype burnout definitions on symptoms of distress.
Methods: We used a cross-sectional design with a random sample of university employees (n=429), who completed the MBI-GS, BCSQ-12 and HSCL-30. The structure of the scales was assessed using parallel analysis from polychoric correlations, unweighted least squares and pro- min rotation. Multivariate regression models were built among symptoms and burnout models.
Results: The HSCL showed a two-factor structure (psychological and somatic; IFS=0.87; GFI=0.99; RMSR=0.05); the MBI a forced three-factor structure (exhaustion, efficacy and cyni- cism; IFS=0.95; GFI>0.99; RMSR=0.03); the BCSQ a three-factor structure (neglect, lack of development and overload; IFS=0.98; GFI>0.99; RMSR=0.02). The variance of psychological distress was for 40% explained by MBI-GS and for 27% by BCSQ-12; the variance of somatic symptoms was for 31% explained by MBI-GS and 16% by BCSQ-12. All the BCSQ-12 factors contributed to explain psychological and somatic symptoms, but only exhaustion from MBI-GS.
Conclusions: The typological definition showed better structure, but worse explanatory power on symptoms, than the traditional perspective. Exhaustion seems to be the burnout core dimension, althought the subtypes would explain a specific characterization of the syndrome.

Idioma: Inglés

Año: 2016

Publicado en: Cuadernos de medicina psicosomática y psiquiatría de enlace 120 (2016), 9-20
ISSN: 1695-4246

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Area Psiquiatría (Dpto. Medicina, Psiqu. y Derm.)
Área (Departamento): Área Person.Eval.Trat.Psicoló. (Dpto. Psicología y Sociología)