The Burnout Syndrome in Medical Academia: Psychometric Properties of the Serbian Version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Educators Survey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Educators Survey (MBI-ES). The presence of burnout syndrome, its relationship with personality traits, intention to change career and work abroad were assessed in a cross-sectional multi-center trial conducted among educators at three medical faculties in the Western Balkans during 2019. Translation and cultural adaptation were made based on internationally accepted principles. Personality traits were assessed by the Big Five Plus Two questionnaire. In total, 246 medical faculty members, predominantly females (61%), were enrolled. The three-factor structure of the MBI-ES questionnaire (exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) was validated. Analysis of internal consistency yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.785, indicating scale reliability. The majority of respondents (85.6%) reported moderate level of burnout. Aggressiveness, neuroticism, and negative valence were associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and positive valence correlated with personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in a multivariate regression model were significantly associated with intentions to change career and work abroad (p < 0.05). The present study provided evidence for the appropriate metric properties of the Serbian version of MBI-ES. Presence of burnout syndrome, which was identified as a common problem in medical academia, and directly linked to personality traits, affected intention to career change and work abroad.

Personality and teachers’ burnout stress: exploring the digital competence as personal job resource in allied health institutions

“…Individuals who score high on conscientiousness focus on achieving job-related goals and remain positive in the workplace ( Zellars et al, 2000 ). These findings are also consistent with the traditional view that conscientious individuals are high performers in various job contexts ( Vukmirovic et al, 2020 ). The personality trait of emotional stability is negatively related to teacher burnout, and teachers with high emotional stability experienced less burnout at work.…”

Protocol of the Study on Emergency Health Care Workers’ Responses Evaluated by Karasek Questionnaire: The SEEK-Study Protocol

“…In contrast, a high subscale score on achievement means that the subject feels fulfilled professionally (the achievement subscale is inverted). In a previous study performed by our team in a similar population, analysis of internal consistency yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.785, indicating scale reliability [ 52 ].…”

Relationship between mentalizing and teacher burnout: A cross sectional study

“…the greater the sense of personal accomplishment, the lower the level of burnout [14]. The analysis for internal consistency of the Serbian version of the MBI-ES questionnaire showed that Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the emotional exhaustion subscale was 0.93, while alpha coefficients for depersonalization and personal accomplishment subscales were 0.61 and 0.77, respectively [23]. The reliability of the MBI-ES scale is very good; the Cronbach's alpha coefficients on our sample for the subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment are 0.93, 0.75, 0.79, respectively.…”