The aim of this study was to examine the phenomena of burnout and perceived stress in teachers at Higher Education Institutions, as this professional class is one of the most affected by high levels of stress. A sample of 520 university teachers was used, of which 339 (65.2%) were women. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure perceived stress. A sociodemographic data questionnaire produced by the authors was also applied, which consisted of questions about age, sex, experience in the teaching profession and the participants’ teaching areas. The results indicated that university teachers over 60 years old exhibited lower levels of perceived stress, as did teachers with more teaching experience (30 years or more), and those with less experience (less than 10 years). Women exhibited higher levels of perceived stress than men. Women also scored higher levels of Emotional Exhaustion in the burnout dimensions, whereas teachers will less experience (under 10 years) and teachers with more experience (more than 30 years) had the lowest scores in this dimension. Through an examination of the relation between perceived stress and the burnout dimensions, we concluded that perceived stress was directly proportional to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; and was inversely proportional to personal accomplishment. A total of 31.3% of the variance in burnout was explained by perceived stress.

Burnout is considered by the World Health Organization an extreme response to cumulative and prolonged occupational stress, with teachers being among the professionals most affected by it. This disease influences physical and psychological well-being, negatively affecting the relationship between teachers and students. It also compromises the quality of teaching, thus inducing absenteeism and increasing professional abandonment. Our study examines the degree of incidence of Burnout affecting Professors from the Portuguese Higher Education Institutions. The first study was carried out on a sample of 520 teachers. A proportion of 41 (7.9%) Higher Education Teachers scored high on Burnout. A second phase of the study was conducted to gather data on socio-demographic and socio-professional characteristics of teachers affected by Burnout. The MBI (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and another questionnaire was built for this purpose and were used to collect the study data. The results indicate the majority of teachers affected by Burnout were female (63.4%). Most of them are between 40 and 59 years old (75.6%) and married (68.3%). Overall, 41.5% had 10 to 19 years of service and 39.0% between 20 and 29 years of service. The teachers with an undetermined contract (48.8%) and temporary contract (36.6%) displayed higher levels of Burnout, but the self-employment worker (4.9%) appears in a residual amount. Teachers most affected by Burnout are from Public Polytechnic Institutes (48.8%), followed by Public University teachers (41.5%). Teacher’s Burnout is a serious problem and should be considered by the Higher Education Institutions regarding the development of good teaching practice.

Research has shown that PTSD is prevalent among firefighters and police forces and that Quality of Life (QoL) is seriously compromised in individuals suffering from PTSD. However, QoL studies with these professionals are scarce. This study results from a screening program held by the Portuguese Red Cross (PRC) aiming to analyze predictors of QoL. Participants were 95 firefighters and municipal police officers. They answered the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) in order to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, as well as measures of social support (3-Item Oslo Social Support Scale) and QoL (EUROHIS-QOL-8). From the results, there were no group differences regarding total PTSD, social support or QoL and 10% of participants reported enough symptoms to PTSD diagnostic. Social Support and PTSD explained 25% of QoL variance, PTSD symptoms explaining 10% (negative beta) and, in the second step, social support explained 15%. The results suggest that it would be important to include QoL as an outcome measure in clinical and research work in these populations, with special attention to PTSD and social support.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

This case merits discussion among doctors in endemic and non-endemic areas to evaluate the chronic use of systemic corticosteroids as a risk factor for leprosy. The present patient came from an endemic area of leprosy and was treated chronically with systemic corticosteroids for erythroderma. This treatment, along with the immunodeficiency related to the syndrome and caused by a genetic mutation in SPINK5, may be a facilitating factor for the infection.