By The burnout test is a tool that allows you to measure the level of job exhaustion. It is simple and easy to apply. You can do it yourself.
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), better known as the burnout test , is an instrument to measure job exhaustion or burnout syndrome. Such exhaustion reflects a borderline occupational burnout in which there is chronic stress . It manifests itself, basically, as a continuous negative attitude towards the environment.
When a person suffers from burnout , they feel fatigued all the time and, at the same time, experience insomnia or problems resting properly. They also become irritable, show detachment or rejection towards their work and decrease their productivity at work.
In the long term, burnout can have very serious consequences for a person . It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and infections. It can also lead to a state of chronic fatigue that, in some cases, is irreversible.
« Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax . »
-Mark Black-
The burnout test
There are several tests to assess job burnout. However, the burnout test is one of the most comprehensive and is therefore used very frequently. It was designed by the American psychologist Christina Maslach, together with her colleagues Susan E. Jackson and Michael P. Leiter, in 1981.
According to what was published by its authors in the book Maslach burnout inventory , this questionnaire is made up of 22 items in the form of statements associated with the attitudes and feelings that a person experiences in relation to their work. Its objective is to measure the intensity and frequency with which certain symptoms related to job burnout are experienced.
This tool evaluates three aspects of burnout syndrome :
- Emotional exhaustion or fatigue: has to do with the feeling of being exhausted due to work requirements.
- Depersonalization: refers to detachment or lack of interest in work.
- Personal achievement: values feelings of efficiency and professional development.
Applying the “burnout” test
The MBI is administered by asking the person to rate each of the 22 statements from 0 to 6, taking into account the frequency with which they experience that situation. This questionnaire must be completed within 10 to 15 minutes. The maximum score that can be obtained is 132.
The higher the final score, the greater the likelihood of burnout, except in the area of personal achievement . There are some values that are taken as a reference to indicate that, although burnout syndrome in the strict sense may not be present, there are strong indications that it may be developing.
MBI versions
According to an article published in Science & Work , we can find three versions of the MBI. The first is the MBI-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), which is designed to be applied to human services professionals. This is the classic version that consists of 22 items divided into 3 subscales.
The second version is the MBI-Educators (MBI-ES), developed for education professionals . Here the word patient is replaced by student, since the context is different. This version has the same structure as the MBI-HSS and retains the same names for the three subscales.
Finally, there is the MBI-General Survey (MBI-GS), a more generic version. Although it maintains the same structure as the two previous versions, it only has 16 items and the dimensions are called personal efficacy, exhaustion and cynicism.
It is worth mentioning that, in addition to these three, a fourth one can be found, designed for adult students: MBI-General Survey for Students (MBI-GS [S]). A research from the journal Frontiers in psychology , conducted with Italian university students, indicates that it is a valid and reliable test to measure burnout in students.
Strengths of the burnout questionnaire
Below, we will review some strengths of the MBI that have been highlighted by the aforementioned publication in Science & Work:
- It has international acceptance : this allows comparing results from different populations and cultures to design better prevention and intervention strategies.
- It has concurrent validity : this type of validity measures the correlation of a test with the measurement of another previously recognized test. In this sense, correlations have been observed between various behavioral scales with the MBI.
- It has divergent validity : this guarantees that the constructs of the test are not related to those with which they should not be. Unwanted associations can alter the expected results, which is why this divergence is necessary.
Speaking of this last type of validity, a study in the Korean Journal of Adult Nursing , conducted with nurses, found that the Maslach burnout test has a high divergent (or discriminant) validity between the subscales of emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. In addition, it points out that it is a valid instrument to measure the level of fatigue of nurses working in hospitals.
On the other hand, the instrument has also been found to have a high reliability. Reliability in psychometrics refers to the consistency of the results across different measurements. That is, a test is reliable if, when applied several times to the same person, it yields similar or approximate results in the different measurements. In this regard, an analytical report in the International Journal of Nursing Studies found that the three subscales of the MBI have a high reliability.
Asking for help when scores confirm burnout
Burnout significantly affects a person’s life. There are several negative physical, mental and occupational consequences that burnout syndrome has on those who suffer from it. This makes it necessary to detect it in time, and the MBI is ideal for this .
Finally, it is important to note that if someone scores high on the burnout test , it is advisable that they consult a mental health professional . This person will be responsible for designing a strategy to prevent further increase of the problem and address its possible causes and consequences.