Assessment of burnout among primary teachers in confinement during the COVID-19 period in Morocco: case of the Kenitra

INTRODUCTION: Confinement, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, could have problems on the mental health of the population. Teachers responsible for giving distance courses during this period could be psychologically stressed. The aim is to assess the magnitude results of burnout and associated factors among primary school teachers in Kenitra in Morocco during this confinement period. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, which was conducted during the two months of April and May 2020. Burnout was evaluated by the Maslach Burnout Inventory MBI with 16 items, specific to the context of Moroccan teachers and the factors of stress were assessed using a questionnaire developed by the research team. We used the Chi-square test to determine the association between two qualitative variables anda logistic regression for an overall statistical analysis. RESULTS: The average age was 38.6 ± 9.9 years. The MBI revealed that 68 teachers (54%) were victims of burnout, of which 47 (38%) had a low level; 15 (12%) had a moderate level and six (5%) had a severe burnout. Logistic regression analysis has shown that the risk factors for burnout during this confinement period are: the use and development of skills in new information and communication technologies (p<0,05); work/family conflict (p<0,05); social support (p<0,05); and the workload related to distance education (p≤0,05). CONCLUSION: In light of these results, interventions aimed at promoting mental well-being teachers during and after confinement should be implemented immediately.