Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2011, 2(4):288-294

Personality predictors of burnout syndrom among students of helping professions

Zuzana Škodová^*, Ľubica Bánovčinová

Department of Non-Medical Study Programmes, Comenius University, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Martin, Slovakia

Aim: Personality characteristic might be important factors influencing the individual abilities to cope with the burnout syndrome. Aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personality factors such as self-evaluation and sense of coherence and burnout syndrome among university students of helping professions.

Methods: Together 109 university students of nursing, obstetrics, public health and psychology were included in the study (average age 20.64 ±2.74, 86.1% females). Scale Burnout Inventory (SBI) in the school was used for assessing the burnout levels. Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC) and Rosenberger's Self Esteem Scale (SES) were used as well. Correlation analysis (r) and multiple linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis of results.

Results: Significant negative relationship was found between burnout syndrome and self esteem (r = -0.33, P ≤ 0.01), as well as sense of coherence (r = -0.40, P ≤ 0.01); it means that higher levels of self esteem and sense of coherence was associated with lower burnout syndrome levels among students. In the linear regression model, burnout syndrome was significantly predicted by sense of coherence ( β = -0.36; 95% Confidence Interval: - 0.50, -0.06).

Conclusion: Personality characteristics were found to be significantly associated with the burnout levels in our study. As coping strategies applied during the study tend to be significantly associated with the strategies later applied at work, it is possible to assume that improving stress managing competences among students will be useful in prevention of later burnout syndrome onset.

Keywords: burnout syndrome, self-esteem, sense of coherence, students of helping professions

Published: September 30, 2011  Show citation