OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and burnout among Korean workers, with particular attention to indirect pathway involving work stress. METHODS: Data were analyzed from participants in the fifth wave of the Korean Work, Sleep, and Health Study. PSC, work stress, and burnout were assessed using the PSC-4, KOSS-19, and KBOSS scales, respectively. Logistic regression was used to evaluate burnout risk, and mediation analysis with nonparametric bootstrapping was performed to estimate direct and indirect effects. RESULTS: High-risk PSC was significantly associated with an increased risk of burnout and its subcomponents: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of PSC on burnout through overall work stress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest an indirect association between PSC and burnout involving work stress, rather than a direct effect.
Kim et al. (2026) studied this question.