Structural Equation Modeling-Based Reliability Generalization Meta-Analysis of the Spanish Burnout Inventory

Burnout is a response to chronic work-related stress. The Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) conceptualizes burnout along four dimensions: Enthusiasm toward the job, psychological exhaustion, indolence, and guilt. The aim of the present study was to examine the factor structure and reliability of the SBI through a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. The literature search yielded a total of 71 studies, from which data for 86 independent samples (52,278 participants) were extracted. The majority of participants were women (67.4%), with a mean age of 40.37 years. Four-factor congeneric and τ-equivalent models were tested. Both models demonstrated a good fit to the data, supporting the four-factor theoretical structure of the SBI and the interchangeable use of alpha and omega coefficients. The pooled reliability estimates obtained from the fitted models ranged from .755 to .869 across the four scales. The four-factor structure was consistent across studies, supporting its use in the assessment of burnout. The meta-analytic evidence obtained from the present study suggests that the SBI is a robust instrument for measuring burnout in occupational settings. However, reliability coefficients tended to be lower in some countries and, for certain scales, might fall below .70.