Burnout: a Multidimensional Perspective

The development of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) itself has had a major impact on the shape and direction of burnout research. The availability of an easily administered, self-report measure was an attractive incentive to many researchers, who then incorporated the measure into their studies. In doing so, they accepted, at least implicitly, the multidimensional model on which the MBI was based. Regardless of the specific form, a multidimensional model has some important implications for interventions. First, it underscores the variety of psychological reactions to a job that different employees can experience. This multidimensional approach also implies that interventions to reduce burnout should be planned and designed in terms of the particular component of burnout that needs to be addressed. That is, it may be more effective to consider how to reduce likelihood of emotional exhaustion, or to prevent the tendency to depersonalize, or to enhance one's sense of accomplishment, rather than to use a more general stress reduction approach.