Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)—Development, Validity, and Reliability

Abstract

This paper introduces a new definition for burnout and investigates the psychometric properties of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). In a prior qualitative study, 49 practitioners were interviewed about their conceptualization of burnout (part 1). Using a dialectical approach, four core dimensions—exhaustion, mental distance, and impaired emotional and cognitive impairment—and three secondary dimensions—depressed mood, psychological distress, and psychosomatic complaints—emerged, which constitute the basis of the BAT. In the second study, the psychometric characteristics of the BAT were investigated in a representative sample of 1500 Flemish employees, focusing on factorial validity, reliability, and construct validity, respectively. Results demonstrate the assumed four-factor structure for the core dimensions, which is best represented by one general burnout factor. Contrary to expectations, instead of a three-factor structure, a two-factor structure was found for the secondary dimensions. Furthermore, the BAT and its subscales show adequate reliability. Convergent validity and discriminant validity with other burnout measures—including the MBI and OLBI—was demonstrated, as well as discriminant validity with other well-being constructs, such as work engagement and workaholism.

Perfectionism and Burnout During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Two-Wave Cross-Lagged Study

“…Results of the CFA indicated that model fit the data very well both in the sample at Time 1 (N = 590; X 2 = 1593.171, df = 512; SRMR = 0.057; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.06) and in the two-wave sample at T2 (N = 190; X 2 = 1048.150, df = 512; SRMR = 0.062; CFI = 0.89; RMSEA = 0.07). For completeness, we also tested the second-order model of burnout on the sample at T1 and results are consistent to Schaufeli et al (2020) showing that the fit of the model was adequate (N = 590; X 2 = 1828.559, df = 521; SRMR = 0.072; CFI = 0.89; RMSEA = 0.06), although it was slightly worse than the six-factor correlated model. models are not accepted (Hooper et al, 2008).…”

“…Burnout was measured using the BAT (BAT, Schaufeli et al, 2020 ) Italian version adapted by Consiglio et al (unpublished) 2 . The 34 BAT items are distributed along six sub-dimensions that include the four core (four subscales) and secondary (two subscales) symptoms of burnout with the following items’ distribution: (1) exhaustion, eight items (item example: “When I get up in the morning, I lack the energy to start a new day at work”); (2) mental distance, five items (item example: “I feel indifferent about my job”); (3) emotional impairment, five items (item example “At work, I may overreact unintentionally”); (4) cognitive impairment, five items (item example: “At work, I struggle to think clearly”); (5) psychosomatic complaints, five items (item example “I suffer from palpitations or chest pain”); and (6) psychological distress, six items (item example “I have trouble falling or staying asleep.” Items were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 “never” to 5 “always.”…”

“…Burnout was measured using the BAT (BAT, Schaufeli et al, 2020) Italian version adapted by Consiglio et al (unpublished) 2 . The 34 BAT items are distributed along six sub-dimensions that include the four core (four subscales) and secondary (two subscales) symptoms of burnout with the following items' distribution:…”

“…The most popular instrument to measure burnout comprehends these three dimensions and it is called the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). However, MBI has been criticized on conceptual, practical, and psychometrical grounds, and Schaufeli et al (2020) recently proposed a new conceptualization and measure of burnout, the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT, Schaufeli et al, 2020 ), showing its cross-sectional validity within seven nationally representative samples ( de Beer et al, 2020 ). The BAT conceptualizes burnout as a syndrome comprising four components—(1) exhaustion, (2) emotional impairment, (3) cognitive impairment, and (4) mental distance—following the distinction made by Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) , which considered these dimensions as burnout’s core symptoms with respect to other secondary, atypical ones.…”

“…These four BAT dimensions are explained by the authors as follow: “(1) exhaustion, which refers to a severe loss of energy that results in feelings of both physical (tiredness, feeling weak) and mental (feeling drained and worn-out) exhaustion; (2) emotional impairment, which manifests itself in intense emotional reactions and feeling overwhelmed by one’s emotions; (3) cognitive impairment, which is cued by memory problems, attention and concentration deficits and poor cognitive performance; (4) mental distance, which signals the degree of being psychologically distancing from the work and by a strong reluctance or aversion toward it” ( Schaufeli et al, 2019 , p. 27). In addition to these core symptoms, burnout also includes secondary symptoms, such as: “psychological distress, which refers to non-physical symptoms resulting in psychological disorders, such as sleep problems, worries, feeling tense and anxious; psychosomatic complaints, which refers to physical complaints that cannot be explained by a physical disorder, but are exacerbated by or result from some psychological disorders; depressed mood that refers to a gloomy and sad mood and the inability to experience pleasure” ( Schaufeli et al, 2020 , p. 28).…”