Intervention for burnout among postgraduate chemistry education students

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the efficacy of a group rational emotive behavioural intervention for burnout among postgraduate chemistry education students in Nigeria. METHOD: Participants were 36 postgraduate chemistry education students with high burnout symptoms; 18 students were randomly assigned to an experimental group and 18 to a control group. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory – Student Version was used to assess burnout. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the experimental group and control group in pretest mean burnout scores. However, experimental group posttest scores showed a significant improvement compared with both experimental group pretest scores and with control group posttest scores, indicating that the group rational emotive behavioural intervention was effective in enabling postgraduate chemistry education students to manage burnout. Experimental group follow-up scores showed a significantly sustained improvement compared with both experimental group posttest scores and with control group follow-up scores, indicating that the effect of the intervention was maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSION: The group rational emotive behavioural intervention was an effective treatment modality for burnout in postgraduate chemistry education students.