Search Results (102)

Background: An effective healthcare system relies on sufficient and competent human resources. However, many countries face staff shortages, burnout, and turnover, which threaten the quality and safety of care. To address the absence of validated tools assessing healthcare professionals’ perceptions of staff resource adequacy in Latvia, the Staff Resource Adequacy Questionnaire for Healthcare Professionals (SRAQ-HP) was developed. Methods: This study examined its construct validity through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using a nationwide sample of 1369 healthcare professionals. EFA supported a three-factor structure comprising (1) adequacy of workload and staff resources, (2) quality of care, and (3) working conditions and support. Results: The instrument demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach’s α > 0.94) and moderate model fit indices (CFI/TLI > 0.90; RMSEA = 0.145; SRMR = 0.100). Although RMSEA values (0.145) were above conventional cutoffs, this was expected given the large sample and model complexity. Convergent validity was supported by correlations with established measures—the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP), the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ACT)—while criterion validity showed significant predictive value only for moral distress. Conclusions: Overall, the SRAQ-HP demonstrates promising psychometric properties and practical applicability for assessing staff resource adequacy in healthcare settings, although further refinement and re-validation (particularly of one reverse-worded item) are recommended before broader implementation. Full article

Background: Faculty burnout in allied healthcare education institutions represents a significant challenge with implications for educational quality, organizational effectiveness, and healthcare workforce development. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature on the relationships between leadership approaches, faculty personality factors, and burnout within allied healthcare education, while examining digital competence as a potential moderating factor. Methods: This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched for relevant studies published between 2010 and 2024. Studies examining burnout among allied healthcare educators in relation to leadership, personality traits, or digital competence were included. Data extraction captured study characteristics, methodological approaches, key findings, and theoretical frameworks. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Existing research indicates significant relationships between leadership styles and faculty burnout rates, with transformational leadership consistently associated with lower burnout scores. The literature reveals that individual personality traits demonstrate significant relationships with burnout vulnerability, with emotional stability and extraversion showing the strongest protective effects. Limited research has examined digital competence in relation to burnout, though emerging evidence suggests it may function as a moderating factor. Significant gaps exist in non-Western contexts and in understanding interaction effects between leadership, personality, and digital competence. Conclusions: The current literature supports the importance of leadership approaches that emphasize collaboration, faculty autonomy, recognition, and professional development opportunities in protecting against burnout in allied healthcare education settings. Digital competence represents a promising but understudied job resource that may mitigate burnout effects. Future research should explore cross-cultural variations, interaction effects between personal and organizational factors, and the effectiveness of interventions in reducing faculty burnout. Full article

This study aims to explore the longitudinal relationship between academic self-efficacy, academic buoyancy, and academic burnout among junior high school students and to reveal the potential mediating role of academic buoyancy. Using cluster sampling, a longitudinal study was conducted on 906 students (mean age = 12.48, 53.3% male) in grades 7 to 9, with three follow-up assessments conducted at four-month intervals. The assessment tools included the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, the Academic Buoyancy Scale, and the Academic Burnout Questionnaire. The results indicated the following: (1) academic self-efficacy and academic buoyancy exhibit a bidirectional relationship, meaning that academic self-efficacy is associated with increases in academic buoyancy levels four months later, and academic buoyancy also is associated with increases in academic self-efficacy four months later; (2) academic buoyancy is associated with decreases in academic burnout four months later, and academic burnout also is associated with decreases in academic buoyancy four months later; (3) academic self-efficacy is indirectly associated with decreases in academic burnout through the mediating effect of academic buoyancy. Research implications: In educational practice, a focus should be on enhancing students’ academic self-efficacy while effectively reducing academic burnout among junior high school students by fostering the psychological resource of academic buoyancy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Family members who provide care play a central but often underestimated role in the healthcare system and are frequently exposed to considerable physical, emotional, and social stress. To better understand and support their needs, a structured self-assessment tool (SSA-PA) was developed. This development addresses the current lack of practical, validated instruments that enable caregivers to systematically reflect on their own stress levels and resources, which is becoming increasingly important in view of the growing demand for care and the risk of caregiver burnout. This tool aims to promote self-reflection, identify individual stresses and resources, and enable more targeted support for family caregivers. Methods: The development process (September–December 2024) followed a multi-phase design that integrated theoretical foundations from nursing, health, and psychology, in particular Orem’s theory of self-care deficit, Lazarus and Folkman’s stress and coping model, and Engel’s biopsychosocial model. Four core dimensions were defined: (1) health and self-care, (2) burden and stress, (3) support and resources, and (4) satisfaction and quality of life. The final tool comprises 37 items (mostly 5-point Likert scales), supplemented by multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Content validity was ensured through expert review and testing with nine family caregivers. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.998), indicating very high reliability, although possible item redundancies were identified. The evaluation took place in January 2025 with 33 family caregivers to assess user-friendliness, relevance, and perceived usefulness. Results: The majority of participants rated the tool as user-friendly and clearly structured. Around 80% reported a high level of comprehensibility, and over half stated that the tool provided new insights into their own health and care burden. Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of the tool for self-reflection and motivation to seek external support. Suggestions for improvement included shorter item formulations, improved visual feedback (e.g., progress bars or charts), and expanded question areas on financial burdens and digital support options. Conclusions: The SSA-PA is a theoretically grounded and user-centered tool for assessing and reflecting on the situation of family caregivers. It not only enables systematic self-assessments but also promotes awareness and proactive coping strategies. Future research should focus on conducting factor analyses to further validate the construct, testing the tool in larger samples, and exploring its integration into structured care consultations to improve the quality of home care. Full article

Aim: To evaluate basal well-being and the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in health-care professionals (HCPs), a recognized worker category subjected to elevated stress from job conditions. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post study was conducted in Italian HCPs. Well-being (assessed by Psychological General Well-Being Index-PGWBI), stress (Perceived Stress Scale-PSS), and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-MBI) were collected at baseline and after an MBSR program. Moreover, levels of C reactive protein, glucose, and lipid profiles were also monitored in a subgroup. Results: At baseline, Total-PGWBI score value evidenced no distress, whereas Total-PSS and MBI dimensions (emotional exhaustion—EE, depersonalization and detachment from the job—DP, and lack of personal or professional accomplishment—PA) indicate moderate distress. After MBSR, PGWBI, PSS, and MBI dimensions significantly improved. Moreover, significant benefits on lipid profile were observed after MBSR. Conclusions: MBSR may be a promising method to improve well-being and lipid profile in HCPs. Thus, MBSR might represent a new future complementary prevention tool for mental and physical health maintenance in this category of workers. Full article

Background/Objectives: Healthcare workers often experience chronic psychological stress, which may affect up to 71% of nurses, leading to mental outcomes, namely, depressive symptoms and a chronic state of physical and emotional depletion followed by burnout syndrome. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and poor personal accomplishment are three core features responsible for the development of burnout. Given sleep quality as a mediator is likely to play a key role in forecasting the potential impingement of burnout both directly and indirectly, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore any possible association between sleep disorders and burnout in a cohort of Lithuanian clinical nurses. Methods: During a six-week period in October–November 2024, a total of 269 female nurses ranging between 22 and 67 years old were recruited for a cross-sectional study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) tool and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were applied to assess the level of subjective sleep quality over the last month and the self-perceived occupational burnout experienced by clinical nurses, respectively. Results: This study highlighted a worrying proportion of nurses found to be at an increased risk of occupational burnout syndrome after more than 60% of nurses had experienced the symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. A similar proportion of nurses was exposed to the risk of sleep disorders, which, as a potential trigger, played an important role in maintaining burnout syndrome. More specifically, the global PSQI score was related to the expression of depersonalization (β 0.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2; 0.9, p = 0.002, R² = 0.27). The higher levels of both emotion exhaustion (β 2.5, 95% CI 1.5; 3.5, p < 0.001, R² = 0.26) and depersonalization (β 1.9, 95% CI 0.8; 3.0, p = 0.001, R² = 0.28) were associated with perceived daily disturbances (in terms of sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction) in nurses. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals should focus further attention on reducing high-level depersonalization expression and potential risk factors, namely sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction associated with this burnout symptom in a population of clinical nurses. Therefore, by targeted integration of efficient sleep interventions, healthcare institutions could promote employee-friendly workplaces, and, eventually, improve not only the indicators of burnout syndrome but also nurses’ performance and patient safety as well as satisfaction with perceived nursing care. Full article

Mental health challenges in academic settings are increasingly recognised, yet research on staff wellbeing remains limited, particularly within African universities. This study provides the first institution-wide assessment of psychological distress and burnout among academic staff at a South African university. A cross-sectional survey using validated tools, the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28 ) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was administered to 157 academic employees, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and ordinal regression. The median age of participants was 42 years (Interquartile range [IQR] = 34–50; SD = 11.4), and the majority of participants were female (n = 110, 70%). The sample included staff across academic ranks, with lecturers being the most common (n = 64, 41%). Results showed that nearly half of participants (49%) exhibited severe psychological distress, and over a quarter (27%) reported high levels of burnout. Female staff reported significantly higher distress and burnout scores compared to their male counterparts. Less than a third (28%) of participants reported feeling safe to disclose mental health concerns, while over half expressed dissatisfaction with institutional support. Participants indicated strong support for both individual-level services, such as confidential counselling and workshops, and systemic changes, including flexible work arrangements and leadership-driven mental health initiatives. Findings highlight the need for integrated, participatory mental health strategies that are culturally and contextually tailored. These results offer timely evidence to inform the development of institutional strategies, policies, and practices to promote mental health among academic staff. Full article

Background/Objectives. Quality of nursing care (QNC) is a central concept in healthcare systems worldwide, with growing emphasis on developing reliable and contextually appropriate instruments for its assessment. Over recent decades, there has been a shift from outcome-based evaluation toward more holistic, patient-centered frameworks that consider both clinical indicators and interpersonal dimensions of care. This scoping review aimed to map the range, nature, and characteristics of self-report instruments used to assess the quality of nursing care, including their psychometric properties and contextual applications across different clinical settings. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, alongside gray literature sources, following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies were included if they reported on the development, validation, adaptation, or application of QNC assessment tools in hospital or community nursing contexts, and were published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Results. Fifty-nine studies were included, spanning from 1995 to 2025. The instruments identified were predominantly structured around Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome model, and many emphasized relational domains such as empathy, communication, and respect. Tools like the Good Nursing Care Scale (GNCS), the Quality of Oncology Nursing Care Scale (QONCS), and the Karen Scales demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.79 to 0.95). Conclusions. Organizational factors, including leadership and staffing, and predictors such as burnout and work intensity, were found to influence perceived care quality. Important gaps remain regarding longitudinal use and integration of patient-reported outcome measures. Full article

Burnout is a critical problem among healthcare professionals worldwide, but nationally representative data on psychosocial factors associated with burnout are lacking for Latvia’s hospital system. This study investigated twofold aims: first, it examined the association between job-related demands, psychosocial resources, and burnout in a representative sample of Latvian hospital staff; and second, it tested whether specific resources buffer or amplify the impact of excessive workload. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4756 healthcare workers across 30 inpatient institutions in Latvia. Participants completed the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III and the Burnout Assessment Tool; regression and moderation analyses were used. Burnout was positively associated with longer working hours, multiple job-holding, and psychosocial demands such as emotional strain, time pressure, and work–life conflict. Several resources, including support from colleagues, supervisor support, recognition, sense of belonging, supervisor evaluation, and especially resources for quality work, were associated with lower burnout and weakened the relationship between workload and burnout. In contrast, high autonomy, meaning at work, organizational justice, and role conflict amplified this association. These findings suggest that in resource-constrained healthcare systems, some job resources may be associated with increased risk of burnout. Effective interventions should address both structural and relational factors to mitigate burnout among healthcare workers. Full article

Teaching is a complex profession that demands simultaneous cognitive and emotional efforts. The present study aims to determine whether teachers’ emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and burnout. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 215 secondary school teachers. Measurement instruments included the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) to assess burnout dimensions; the Health and Work Survey (INSAT) to evaluate psychosocial risk factors; and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-P) to assess emotional intelligence. A mediation/moderation analysis using the PROCESS macro was conducted to examine whether emotional intelligence mediates/moderates the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and burnout among teachers. The results show that psychosocial risk was a significant positive predictor of burnout (B = 0.313, p = 0.001), indicating that higher perceived risk was associated with higher burnout symptoms. Emotional intelligence did not significantly predict burnout on its own (B = 0.176, p = 0.364), and the interaction term (psychosocial risk × emotional intelligence) was not significant (B = 0.000, p = 0.995), suggesting that emotional intelligence does not moderate the relationship between psychosocial risks and burnout. These findings underscore a more holistic approach to address burnout, centered in intervention strategies that include a deeper analysis of organizational context determinants. Full article

As life expectancy and retirement ages rise globally, understanding how older workers thrive in the workplace is an increasingly vital measurement and wellbeing priority. In this study, we validated the Thriving from Work Questionnaire (TfWQ) for workers aged ≥50. A U.S. online panel yielded 617 older workers and 372 younger counterparts for comparison. Using item response theory alongside model-fit evaluation and correlational tests with job/life satisfaction, engagement, burnout, and turnover intent—we assessed reliability and construct validity of the long- (30 reduced to 29-item) and short- (8-item) form TfWQ versions. We recommend omitting one of the original items from the long-form for use in older workers. Instrument reliability was high (α = 0.94 long-form; 0.90 short-form). Model fit was established for both long- and short-form versions with acceptable model fit indices. Convergent validity was supported by strong, theory-consistent correlations with the external constructs. Older workers, compared with those 20–49 years, had higher scores of thriving from work as well as differences identified on nine items. These age-patterned differences highlight actionable levers for occupational-health age-sensitive policy, wellbeing interventions, and workforce planning. The TfWQ offers a robust, reliable, valid, and practically oriented tool for evaluating older workers’ wellbeing with utility across research, practice, and policy. Full article

Background: Healthcare organizations face major challenges in protecting staff health and ensuring business continuity, particularly in high-risk settings. Wearable technologies are emerging tools to monitor occupational health indicators, improve staff safety, and strengthen organizational resilience. Objectives: This scoping review aimed to map the current evidence on wearable technologies in healthcare, focusing on their impact on occupational health, staff safety, and economic outcomes, as well as barriers and facilitators to their adoption. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, sources from inception to July 2025. Studies were included if they evaluated wearable technologies used by healthcare workers and assessed outcomes related to occupational health, organizational resilience, absenteeism, presenteeism, or cost-effectiveness. The review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Results: 31 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were pilot or feasibility studies; only two randomized controlled trials were identified. The wearable technologies evaluated included continuous physiological monitoring devices, real-time location systems, hands-free communication tools, and consumer-grade devices. Evidence suggests potential benefits in improving staff safety, reducing stress and burnout, and enhancing workflow efficiency. However, economic evidence was limited and outcomes varied considerably. Barriers included alert fatigue, privacy concerns, interoperability challenges, and limited staff engagement. Facilitators included leadership support, user-centered design, and adequate infrastructure. Conclusions: Wearable technologies show promise for supporting occupational health and organizational resilience in healthcare, but evidence remains fragmented. Full article

The Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing burnout in Latin America, and several European countries. Based on a theoretical model, the SBI comprises 20 items distributed across four dimensions: Enthusiasm Toward the Job, Psychological Exhaustion, Indolence, and Guilt. Unlike traditional frameworks, the SBI incorporates guilt as a central factor, providing a more comprehensive understanding of burnout. The present study aimed to validate the French version of the instrument (SBI-FR) in a sample of 373 French teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the adequacy of the four-factor structure with satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.057, 90% CI, GFI = 0.911, NFI = 0.909, CFI = 0.948, AIC = 451.824). All items showed acceptable psychometric properties, and reliability coefficients were adequate across the four dimensions. These results support the SBI-FR as a valid and reliable tool for assessing burnout among teachers in France. Furthermore, the inclusion of guilt contributes to theoretical advances in the conceptualization of burnout, enabling the distinction between guilt-prone and non-guilt-prone profiles. Overall, this study offers empirical evidence for the cross-cultural applicability of the SBI and highlights its relevance as an alternative instrument for diagnosing burnout, particularly in educational settings. Full article

Background: Suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth, yet effective tools to predict suicide attempts (SA) in individuals under 18 are scarce. This study aims to develop machine learning (ML) models to predict SA in paediatric populations using Google Trends data. Methods: Relative Search Volumes (RSVs) from Google Trends were analysed for terms linked to suicide risk factors. Pearson Correlation Coefficients (PCC) identified terms strongly associated with SA rates. Based on these, several ML models were developed and evaluated, including Random Forest Regression, Support Vector Regression (SVR), XGBoost, and Linear Regression. Model performance was assessed using metrics such as PCC, mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Results: Terms related to suicide prevention and symptoms, including psychiatrist and anxiety disorder, showed the strongest correlations with SA rates (PCC ≥ 0.90). Random Forest Regression emerged as the top-performing ML model (PCC = 0.953, MAPE = 20.12%, RMSE = 17.21), highlighting burnout, anxiety disorder, antidepressants, and psychiatrist as key predictors of SA. Other models’ scores were XGBoost (PCC = 0.446, MAPE = 22.57%, RMSE = 18.03), SVR (PCC = 0.833, MAPE = 42.23%, RMSE = 47.32) and Linear Regression (PCC = 0.947, MAPE = 23.64%, RMSE = 17.66). Conclusions: Google Trends–based ML models suggest potential utility for short-term prediction of youth SA. These preliminary findings support the utility of search data in identifying real-time suicide risk in paediatric populations. Full article

Background: Burnout is a prevalent issue among mental health nurses. While various interventions have been implemented to address burnout, their effectiveness and sustainability remain unclear in specialised mental health settings. This systematic review aims to clearly evaluate the effectiveness of interventions specifically designed to reduce burnout among mental health nurses, focusing on intervention types, their impact, and the sustainability of results. Methods: A comprehensive search of databases (Embase, CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) identified studies on burnout reduction interventions for mental health nurses. Inclusion criteria focused on mental health nursing populations with pre- and post-intervention burnout measures. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI Critical Appraisal Tools. A narrative synthesis guideline was used to analyse data. Results: Among 2502 studies retrieved, only 4 met the inclusion criteria after a rigorous screening process. These studies explored specific intervention types, including a two-day burnout prevention workshop, an eight-week group-based psychoeducational programme, a twelve-week mindfulness-based psychoeducational intervention, and an eight-week guided self-help mindfulness programme delivered via a digital platform. Significant reductions in burnout were observed across these studies; however, the sustainability of these effects varied. Interventions of greater duration, such as the 12-week mindfulness-based programme and the 8-week group psychoeducational intervention, yielded more enduring improvements. In contrast, shorter interventions, like a two-day workshop, showed transient benefits that diminished over time. Conclusions: This review highlights a critical gap in research on burnout interventions for mental health nurses. While the reviewed interventions showed promise in reducing burnout, the findings underscore the need for sustainable, adaptable interventions and more robust research. Full article