The Mediator Role of Feelings of Guilt in the Process of Burnout and Psychosomatic Disorders: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

Burnout was recently declared by WHO as an “occupational phenomenon” in the International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11), recognizing burnout as a serious health issue. Earlier studies have shown that feelings of guilt appear to be involved in the burnout process. However, the exact nature of the relationships among burnout, guilt and psychosomatic disorders remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediator role of feelings of guilt in the relationship between burnout and psychosomatic disorders, and perform a cross-cultural validation of the multi-dimensional model by Gil-Monte in two samples of teachers (Portuguese vs. Spanish). The study sample was composed of 1,266 teachers, 1,062 from Spain, and 204 from Portugal. Burnout was measured by the Spanish Burnout Inventory. Hypotheses were tested together in a path model. The results obtained provide empirical evidence for the mediator role of guilt in the relationship between the Burnout syndrome and psychosomatic disorders in the sample of teachers from Spain and Portugal, and they contribute to the empirical validation of the model by Gil-Monte. The results indicate that guilt should be incorporated as a symptom of burnout in order to identify individuals affected by burnout and profiles or types of burnout to differentiate it from other pathologies like depression.

Prevalence of Burnout among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

“…Previous studies have reported that burnout is similar among men and women teachers [ 18 , 74 ], but we found that studies with a larger percentage of women reported a higher prevalence of burnout. This is in line with pre-pandemic studies reporting women teachers as more likely to suffer burnout [ 75 , 76 , 77 ] and with studies conducted on mental health during the pandemic in which women across all sectors showed more psychological symptoms than men [ 78 ].…”

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Spanish Burnout Inventory Among Professionals Across 17 Countries and Regions

“…However, Profile 2 is characterized by more severe manifestations of burnout and the use of indolence as a dysfunctional coping strategy. Individuals who fall into Profile 2 feel they cannot do their jobs properly, which makes them develop greater feelings of guilt and then other health disorders, such as symptoms of depression, and absenteeism (Figueiredo-Ferraz et al, 2021;Gil-Monte, 2012).…”

“…Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be used to describe experiences in other areas of life. It has been classified (QD85) as a problem associated with employment or unemployment.Burnout can be considered a significant worldwide occupational health problem that appears mainly in professionals in service organizations who work in direct contact with the clients of the organization (Gil-Monte, 2005), and it can be expressed as psychological symptoms related to depressive mood (Figueiredo-Ferraz et al, 2021;Gil-Monte, 2012;Parker & Tavella, 2021). Interest in the study of burnout and the health problems associated with its development has grown in the past decade due to social and occupational changes that have led to an increase in work stress along with social demands to increase the quality of working life and the prevention of psychosocial risks at work (Eurofound, 2016;2018).…”

“…However, a literature review allows us to conclude that burnout may progress in different ways, and there is empirical evidence for differentiating between types or profiles of burnout (Gillet et al, 2020;Guidetti et al, 2018b;Leiter & Maslach, 2016;Pyhältö et al, 2021;Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2020) related to predictors (Llorca-Pellicer et al, 2021) and consequences (Misiolek-Marín et al, 2020). These profiles could be explained by the fact that some professionals develop higher clinical patterns of burnout, personal distress, and diminished performance as an end state of burnout, whereas others remain in the organization for years without developing relevant personal problems due to work-related stress, but they have attitudes and behaviors of indolence and distance from their job (Figueiredo-Ferraz et al, 2021;Gil-Monte, 2012;Rabasa et al, 2016). Therefore, studies in the field of burnout should evaluate burnout by taking into consideration different types of burnout and their consequences.…”

The relationships between teachers’ emotional health and stress coping

“…Burnout is associated with reduced personal satisfaction and depersonalization ( Bianchi et al, 2015 ), high levels of distress and multiple physical and mental problems, sleep disturbances, reduced productivity and motivation, and an increased risk of sickness absence ( Stier-Jarmer et al, 2016 ). Burnout is characterized by feelings of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, manifested by emotional strain, negative attitudes toward work-life balance ( Schilling et al, 2018 ), indolence, and guilt ( Figueiredo-Ferraz et al, 2021 ).…”