A Factor Analytic Examination of Burnout

Abstract

With the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout is an increasingly popular topic in the public discourse. However, scientific research displays a lack of consensus about burnout’s underlying factor structure. This study seeks to establish burnout’s factor structure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with data from six major burnout measures: the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the Burnout Measure, Short Version (BMS), the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicate a four-factor structure for the burnout construct comprised of exhaustion, cognitive weariness, disengagement/decreased professional efficacy, and emotional impairment.