Burnout Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Basic Education Teachers in Mexico

Abstract

Burnout syndrome (BS) is the result of chronic stress in the workplace. Moreover, chronic stress can affect sleep. A unidirectional relationship has been established between burnout and sleep, and it is known that white-collar workers with burnout syndrome have sleep fragmentation and marked daytime sleepiness. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between burnout and sleep quality in elementary school teachers in Mexico. Methods: We collected data from more than 400 teachers who completed tests. Correlation analyses controlled for anxiety and depression, and Poisson logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships of burnout with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety. Results: There was a significant correlation between burnout syndrome (mainly in the dimension of emotional exhaustion) and sleep disturbances; significant correlations were also observed with other burnout, depression, and anxiety dimensions. The strength of the correlations decreased after controlling for depression and anxiety. Conclusions: The symptoms of burnout syndrome in teachers can overlap with sleep disorders, so it is necessary to make a differential diagnosis to differentiate burnout syndrome from depression and anxiety, among others.