The effectiveness of controlled interventions on employees’ burnout: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of controlled interventions on reducing employees' burnout. Peer-reviewed published papers included in online databases, as well as papers identified in previous reviews, were considered for selection into the meta-analysis. Keywords entered were burnout and intervention, exhaustion and intervention, cynicism and intervention, and depersonalization and intervention. Inclusion criteria for the studies were (1) to include a burnout measure as a primary or a secondary outcome; (2) to include a comparison control group; and (3) available/sufficient data to calculate the d Cohen effect sizes. Using a random-effects model, we found small overall effect sizes for general level of burnout (d = .22, p < .05, k = 13, overall N control = 741, overall N intervention = 747) and exhaustion (d = .17, p < .01, k = 34, overall N control = 1,120, overall N intervention = 1,215), and statistically not significant effects for depersonalization (d = .04, p > .05, k = 31, overall N control = 895, overall N intervention = 888) and personal accomplishment (d = À.02, p > .05, k = 29, overall N control = 806, overall N intervention = 817). Similar effects were also found at follow-up, suggesting modest but lasting effects of interventions in reducing burnout. Yet, new more tailored strategies to reduce burnout are needed to improve the effects of the interventions. Practitioner pointsCognitive-behavioural interventions and interventions based on relaxation techniques are effective only for reducing emotional exhaustion. New types of interventions are needed, to address depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The effects on emotional exhaustion are significant even at more than 6 months after the end of the intervention.

Job satisfaction and burnout among paediatric nurses

“…Sufficient mentoring by experienced nurses may help with skill acquisition. Salary policies may be reviewed as they contribute to job satisfaction and lessen external financial pressure (Gunusen & Ustun 2010, Adwan 2014, Maricut ßoiu et al 2015. Based on these findings, management might implement strategies that could prevent emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation of paediatric nurses.…”

“…), with the burnout rate of nurses varying between 20 and 50% in the Chi‐square test (Wyatt & Harrison , Sekol & Kim , Maricuţoiu et al . ), a power of 0.80 and a significance level of 0.05. The resultant sample size was 126.…”

“…We calculated the minimum sample size required using G*Power version 3.1.9.2 (Faul et al 2007), with the burnout rate of nurses varying between 20 and 50% in the Chi-square test (Wyatt & Harrison 2010, Sekol & Kim 2014, Maricut ßoiu et al 2015, a power of 0.80 and a significance level of 0.05. The resultant sample size was 126.…”

Recovery from work‐related effort: A meta‐analysis

“…Future research should continue to explore within‐person variations in well‐being from day to day. Last, recent evidence suggests that only some organizational interventions have a practical impact on employee well‐being (Maricuţoiu, Sava, & Butta, ). Future research should compare both at‐work and after‐work recovery interventions.…”

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

“…Since there are very few studies (Maricutoiu et al, 2017) which show different self-esteem, empathy, and social support profiles of healthcare professionals and the prevalence of burnout in each, the objective posed for this study was, on one hand, to identify the various healthcare professional self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support profiles, and on the other, analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in burnout.…”