Association between burnout syndrome and workplace violence in teachers

Abstract

Objective: To verify the association between workplace violence and Burnout Syndrome in teachers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 200 elementary and high school teachers from a municipality in Paraná. Data were collected through an instrument containing a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, occupational and characterization data of workplace violence suffered or witnessed in the last 12 months and the Maslach Burnout Inventory to evaluate Burnout Syndrome. Pearson's correlation coefficient, Fisher's test and multiple linear regression were used to verify the relationship between dependent and independent variables. A significance level of p-value was adopted ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of verbal and physical violence was 71.5% and 3% among teachers, respectively. It was found that 57.5% presented high emotional exhaustion, 49% high depersonalization and 36% low professional achievement, and 21% have indicative of Burnout Syndrome. The multiple model indicated that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were directly and significantly associated with physical and verbal violence, as well as witnessing these types of violence, regardless of gender and age. Conclusion: The highest levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were associated with the violence suffered by teachers. Measures should be taken to promote a safer working environment and, in turn, promote the physical and mental health of teachers.