Predictors of subject’s emotional burnout in modern conditions of increased uncertainty

Introduction. The severity features of phases and indicators of emotional burnout are described as a general psychological phenomenon that manifests itself in conditions of uncertainty. It is noted that increased entropy of the environment negatively affects the adaptation of a person and their psychological well-being. The authors consider the barriers that complicate a person’s adaptation and the destruction features of a modern person’s activity in different spheres of life. The study of personal resources and the effects of the social environment on them is important both for the prevention of stressful and destructive states and for the construction of psychological support programmes.

Purpose. The study of predictors and subjective factors of emotional burnout in modern conditions of increasing uncertainty.

Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 250 people and included women teachers and psychologists aged 40–55 years who worked in secondary schools. The methodological tools included the methods Diagnostics of Emotional Burnout (V. V. Boyko) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (adapted by N. E. Vodopyanova and E. S. Starchenkova).

Results. Compared to psychologists, teachers had more pronounced almost all the symptoms of emotional burnout. The symptom of ‘emotional withdrawal’ was found to be more pronounced in psychologists than in teachers. Both groups of respondents are characterised by the presence of the following symptoms: inadequate selective emotional response, reduction of professional achievements, and experiencing traumatic circumstances.

Discussion and conclusion. Empirical research data show that there are risks of emotional burnout in a situation of increased environmental entropy. This makes it possible to identify resources to overcome this syndrome and assess the impact of multifactorial stress of uncertainty on the formation of emotional burnout in the individual. It is argued that the effectiveness of psychological support programmes to overcome a person’s state of emotional burnout is determined by the level of mobilisation of its resources to achieve stability and psychological well-being. 

1. Alessandri, G., Perinelli, E., De Longis, E. et al. (2018). Job burnout: The contribution of emotional stability and emotional self–efficacy beliefs. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 91(4), 823–851. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12225

2. Cherniakevich, E. Y. (2020). Psychological Peculiarities of a Non-Conflict Personality. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Psychology, 32, 95–105. (In Russ.).

3. Karabanovа, O. A., Zakharova, E. I., Starostina, J. A. (2021). Personal identity as a basis for professional and family careers under uncertainty. Bulletin of the Moscow Region State University. Series: Psychological Sciences, 3, 6–23. (In Russ.).

4. Karpova, E. A., Drynkina, T. I. (2022). Stress resistance, coping strategies and managing change under uncertainty. Uchenye zapiski St. Petersburg University of Management Technologies and Economics, 3, 245–254. https://doi.org/10.35854/2541-8106-2022-3-245-254 (In Russ.).

5. Masilova, M. G. (2022). Methodological framework for the study of emotional burnout as a basis for preventive work. Azimuth of Scientific Research: Pedagogy and Psychology, 11(3(40)), 43–47. (In Russ.).

6. Pacheco, N. (2020). Nature or Nurture: The Relationship between Self-Care, Personality Traits, and Burnout in Critical Care Healthcare Professionals. Journal of Nursing & Care, 9(4).

7. Poggio, V. A., Zvereva M. V. (2020). The risks of professional burnout from practicing psychologists. Medicinskaja psihologija v Rossii, 12(3), 2–2. https://doi.org/10.24412/2219-8245-2020-3-2 (In Russ.).

8. Rodina, O. N. (2019). Personal deformations in the development of a state of chronic fatigue. Moscow University Psychology Bulletin. Series 14. Psychology, 1, 123–140. (In Russ.).

9. Scherbakova, Т. N., Misirov, D. N., Akopyan, M. A. et al. (2020). The student as a subject of transformative in the period of professional training. E3S Web of Conferences, 175, 15013. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202017515013

10. Shcherbakova, T. N., Abacharaeva, M. A. (2022). Student as a subject of communication in the information mobility terms. Innovative Science: psychology, pedagogy, defectology, 5(6), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.23947/2658-7165-2022-5-6-41-51 (In Russ.).

11. Shekhovtsova, Е. А. (2020). Actual issues of a burnout syndrome study at the present stage of the research. Uchenye zapiski St. Petersburg University of Management Technologies and Economics, 1(69), 52–57. (In Russ.).

12. Soloviev, M. N. (2019). Psychological stability of personality as a factor of effective overcoming stress and depression. Bulletin of the Moscow Region State University. Series: Psychology, 3, 41–55. (In Russ.).

13. Solovieva, S. L. (2020). Survival under uncertainty. Medicinskaja psihologija v Rossii, 12(2(61)). (In Russ.).

14. Trofimova, E. L., Kuzmina, G. A. (2022). Psychological security of a educators personality in conditions of uncertainty. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Psychology, 39, 54–75. (In Russ.).

15. Ukraintseva, T. I. (2021). Psychological stability as an adaptation mechanism in life crises. Young scientist, 1(343), 150–154. (In Russ.).