Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI-FR) in Teachers

Abstract

The Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing burnout in Latin America, and several European countries. Based on a theoretical model, the SBI comprises 20 items distributed across four dimensions: Enthusiasm Toward the Job, Psychological Exhaustion, Indolence, and Guilt. Unlike traditional frameworks, the SBI incorporates guilt as a central factor, providing a more comprehensive understanding of burnout. The present study aimed to validate the French version of the instrument (SBI-FR) in a sample of 373 French teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the adequacy of the four-factor structure with satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.057, 90% CI, GFI = 0.911, NFI = 0.909, CFI = 0.948, AIC = 451.824). All items showed acceptable psychometric properties, and reliability coefficients were adequate across the four dimensions. These results support the SBI-FR as a valid and reliable tool for assessing burnout among teachers in France. Furthermore, the inclusion of guilt contributes to theoretical advances in the conceptualization of burnout, enabling the distinction between guilt-prone and non-guilt-prone profiles. Overall, this study offers empirical evidence for the cross-cultural applicability of the SBI and highlights its relevance as an alternative instrument for diagnosing burnout, particularly in educational settings.