Burnout syndrome in primary and secondary school teachers in southern Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Burnout syndrome is a form of professional exhaustion to which teachers are particularly vulnerable. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between burnout syndrome and occupational factors in primary and secondary school teachers in Brazil. METHODS: A quantitative study of 200 teachers was conducted using a demographic and occupational questionnaire as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory to investigate burnout syndrome. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the burnout scores of teachers with different lengths of service in their current schools, as well as those with different lengths of teaching experience. Burnout syndrome scores also varied significantly between teachers with different types of work contracts and weekly workloads. No associations were observed between burnout scores and type of work shift, perceived professional recognition or teaching level. CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified significant associations between indicators of burnout syndrome and occupational factors such as length of employment in a given institution, length of teaching experience, type of work contract, hours worked and working at multiple institutions. These results underscore the vulnerability of teachers to burnout syndrome. Our findings also highlight the need to plan and implement initiatives to prevent burnout and maximize quality of life at work, with a special focus on the mental health of teachers.