(in German)

Introduction: The present study examines the relationship between the burnout dimension emotional exhaustion and subsequent events of work nonparticipation (long-term sickness absence, unemployment, early retirement) and their duration.

Methods: The data basis was the Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA); a follow-up study based on a random sample of n=4511 employees subject to social security contributions aged 31–60 years at baseline and their follow-up after 5 years (n=2460). Burnout symptoms were measured at the time of the baseline survey by means of a questionnaire, while the employment and sickness absence history was recorded at follow-up by means of an interview. Associations between the burnout scale at T1 and subsequent events of inactivity were analysed using a two-part model: i. e., events were predicted using logistic regression, and their duration was predicted using generalised linear regression models (GLM).

Results: The burnout scale was associated with the events and duration of long-term sickness absence; among men with an odds ratio [OR]=1.72 (95% CI=1.31; 2.27) and among women with an OR=2.23 (95% CI=1.73; 2.88) per scale point for the occurrence of an event. Among those who experienced long-term sickness absence, the duration (in months) increased by a factor of Exp(β)=1.44 (95% CI=1.23; 1.69) for men and Exp(β)=1.29 (95% CI=1.09; 1.52) for women for each scale point on the burnout scale.

Conclusion: From a clinical and health economic point of view, it is a relevant finding that the burnout dimension of emotional exhaustion is associated with events and duration of work nonparticipation.

This article is published in the Journal "Gesundheitswesen" (2025).

Please download the article "The burnout dimension emotional exhaustion and impairment of work participation: A prospective study of 2308 employees subject to social security contributions in Germany" (in German only).