Psychosocial Risks Associated with Burnout Syndrome Among University Professors

Abstract

Burnout syndrome is a phenomenon that emerges as a chronic response to psychosocial stressors in the work environment. It has four dimensions: enthusiasm for the job, psychological exhaustion, lassitude, and guilt. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial stressors related to work as possible predictors of dimensions of burnout syndrome among a sample of 250 university professors. The Spanish Burnout Inventory-Educational Version (sbi-Ed) and the Battery of Psychosocial Risk Assessment were used as research instruments. Results obtained through linear regression analysis point to the variables of autonomy, social support, role ambiguity, and interpersonal conflicts as predictors of burnout. The study suggests possibilities for intervention and further research.