Risk of burnout among public servants at a Brazilian university

Abstract

Objective  to investigate factors related to the risk of burnout among public servants at a public university.

Method  a quantitative study carried out between April and August 2021 with professors and administrative technicians at a university. A characterization instrument, the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey, was used to assess the propensity for burnout, and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale was used to measure presenteeism. Descriptive statistics were applied for exploratory analysis, and nonparametric tests (chi-square of goodness of fit and independence) were used for inferential analysis, considering findings with p<0.05 as significant.

Results  a total of 253 public servants participated, with an average age of 40.7 years. Although 122 presented a reduced risk of burnout (p<0.000), relationships of dependency with increased risk were identified, such as continuous use of medication, illnesses, absenteeism-illness, presenteeism, type of employment relationship, job dissatisfaction, intention to leave the institution and overcommitment.

Conclusion and implications for practice  most presented a low or moderate risk of burnout, but are exposed to multiple risk factors. The findings highlight the need for institutional actions to monitor and prevent professional burnout in the university context.

Keywords:
Depersonalization; Faculty; Burnout, Professional; Government Employees; Universities