Psychometric properties and usefulness of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey among secondary school adolescents in Morocco

Younes Yassine; Miloud Chakit; Mohamed Belkhaoud; Driss Lamrioui; Abderrazak Nimour; El Mahjoub Aouane

doi:10.31893/multirev.2025319

Keywords:

emotional exhaustion

cynicism

academic efficacy

exploratory factor analysis

confirmatory factor analysis

Morocco

Abstract

Burnout is a common disorder with adverse health and psychological effects. This phenomenon among adults in occupational settings is extensively recognized and thoroughly documented. In more contemporary studies, burnout has also been discerned within the populations of secondary school students. The use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) to assess burnout in the academic context has recently increased. However, no validated instrument exists for evaluating this syndrome in Moroccan secondary schools. The current study examined the factor structure and reliability of the Arabic version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) among a sample of Moroccan secondary school adolescents. A total of 1166 public secondary school students from the Rabat Sale Kenitra Region (Morocco) were included. A total of 40.9% of the boys and 59.1% of the girls (M=17.15, SD=1.328) responded to an Arabic translated version of the MBI-SS. Descriptive, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the collected data by measuring the chi-square ratio and degree of freedom χ2/DF, comparative fit index (CFI), normed fit index (NFI), Tucker‒Lewis index (TLI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a model with 15 items showing the three-dimensional structure of this scale: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy, with values of χ2/DF= 3.26, CFI = .955, NFI = .937, TLI = .938, and RMSEA = .045. These subscales generally indicate satisfactory psychometric qualities. These results show that the Arabic-translated MBI-SS instrument has an excellent factor structure and internal consistency. The findings underscore the importance of addressing burnout in education settings. This allows clinicians to assess this problem quickly in Moroccan adolescents and researchers to develop theoretical knowledge on this phenomenon. ultimately aiding in the development of targeted interventions and fostering healthier academic environments.
References
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31. Salmela-Aro, K., Savolainen, H., & Holopainen, L. (2009). Depressive symptoms and school burnout during adolescence: Evidence from two cross-lagged longitudinal studies. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(10), 1316–1327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9334-3
32. Salmela-Aro, K., Tolvanen, A., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2011). Social strategies during university studies predict early career work burnout and engagement: 18-year longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(1), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.01.002
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37. Zakari, S., Walburg, V., & Chabrol, H. (2008). Étude du phénomène d’épuisement scolaire, de la dépression et des idées de suicides chez des lycéens français. Journal de Thérapie Comportementale et Cognitive, 18(3), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcc.2008.06.005

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Yassine, Y., Chakit, M., Belkhaoud, M., Lamrioui, D., Nimour, A., & Aouane, E. M. (2025). Psychometric properties and usefulness of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey among secondary school adolescents in Morocco. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(10), 2025319. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025319

[1] Bask, M., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2012). Burned out to drop out: Exploring the relationship between school burnout and school dropout. European Journal of Psychology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0126-5

[2] Bentler, P. M., & Mooijaart, A. (1989). Choice of structural model via parsimony: A rationale based on precision. Psychological Bulletin, 106(2), 315–317. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.106.2.315

[3] Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118619179

[4] Cao, J., Xu, X., Liu, X., Shen, Z., Fu, X., Man, X., & Zhao, S. (2024). Profiles of Family and School Experiences and Adjustment of Adolescents During the Transition to High School. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 53(9), 2002–2015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-024-01997-6

[5] Catheline, N. (2024). Georges Heuyer et la naissance de la pédopsychiatrie: De la création de la première clinique de neuropsychiatrie infantile en 1925 à la mise en place du secteur. Enfances & Psy, 99(1), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.3917/ep.099.0133

[6] Doudin, P.-A., Meylan, N., & Curchod-Ruedi, D. (2014). Le soutien social à l’école: Un facteur de protection pour les enseignants et leurs élèves. In F. Bacro (Éd.), La qualité de vie: Approches psychologiques (pp. 65–81). Presses universitaires de Rennes. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.pur.61256

[7] Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x

[8] Faye-Dumanget, C., Carré, J., Le Borgne, M., & Boudoukha, P. A. H. (2017). French validation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS). Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 23(6), 1247–1251. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.12771

[9] Finney, S. J., & DiStefano, C. (2013). Nonnormal and categorical data in structural equation modeling. In G. R. Hancock & R. O. Mueller (Eds.), Structural equation modeling: A second course (2nd ed., pp. 439–492). IAP Information Age Publishing.

[10] Genoud, P. A., & Reicherts, M. (2008). Le burnout chez les étudiants universitaires et ses liens avec l’ouverture émotionnelle. Revue de Psychoéducation, 37(2), 227–244.

[11] Genoud, P. A., Brodard, F., & Reicherts, M. (2009). Facteurs de stress et burnout chez les enseignants de l’école primaire. European Review of Applied Psychology, 59(1), 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2007.03.001

[12] Golse, B. (2005). Les précurseurs corporels et comportementaux de l’accès au langage verbal. Neuropsychiatrie de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence, 53(7), 340–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurenf.2005.09.022

[13] Hall, G. S. (1904). Adolescence: Its psychology and its relations to physiology, anthropology, sociology, sex, crime, religion and education (Vol. I). D. Appleton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1037/10616-000

[14] Hederich-Martínez, C., & Caballero-Domínguez, C. C. (2016). Validación del cuestionario Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) en contexto académico colombiano. CES Psicología, 9(1), 1–15.

[15] Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1998). Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underparameterized model misspecification. Psychological Methods, 3(4), 424–453. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.3.4.424

[16] Hu, Q., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2009). The factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey in China. Psychological Reports, 105(2), 394–408. https://doi.org/10.2466/PR0.105.2.394-408

[17] Jeammet, P. (2007). L’adolescence aujourd’hui, entre liberté et contrainte. Empan, 66(2), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.3917/empa.066.0073

[18] Maroco, J., & Campos, J. A. D. B. (2012). Defining the student burnout construct: A structural analysis from three burnout inventories. Psychological Reports, 111(3), 814–830. https://doi.org/10.2466/14.10.20.PR0.111.6.814-830

[19] Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (1997). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. Jossey-Bass.

[20] Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

[21] Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397

[22] McDonald, R. P., & Ho, M.-H. R. (2002). Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses. Psychological Methods, 7(1), 64–82. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.7.1.64

[23] Nunnally, J. C. (1978). An overview of psychological measurement. In B. B. Wolman (Ed.), Clinical diagnosis of mental disorders: A handbook (pp. 97–146). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2490-4_4

[24] Parker, R. N. (1995). Alcohol and homicide: A deadly combination of two American traditions. State University of New York Press.

[25] Pérez-Fuentes, M. C., Molero Jurado, M. M., Simón Márquez, M. M., Oropesa Ruiz, N. F., & Gázquez Linares, J. J. (2020). Validation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey in Spanish adolescents. Psicothema, 32(3), 444–451. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2019.373

[26] Raedeke, T. D., & Smith, A. L. (2004). Coping resources and athlete burnout: An examination of stress mediated and moderation hypotheses. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 26(4), 525–541.

[27] Salmela-Aro, K., & Näätänen, P. (2005). School Burnout Inventory [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.1037/t01336-000

[28] Salmela-Aro, K., & Tynkkynen, L. (2012). Gendered pathways in school burnout among adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 35(4), 929–939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.01.001

[29] Salmela-Aro, K., Kiuru, N., Leskinen, E., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2009). School Burnout Inventory (SBI): Reliability and validity. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.25.1.48

[30] Salmela-Aro, K., Kiuru, N., Pietikäinen, M., & Jokela, J. (2008). Does school matter? The role of school context in adolescents’ school-related burnout. European Psychologist, 13(1), 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.13.1.12

[31] Salmela-Aro, K., Savolainen, H., & Holopainen, L. (2009). Depressive symptoms and school burnout during adolescence: Evidence from two cross-lagged longitudinal studies. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(10), 1316–1327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9334-3

[32] Salmela-Aro, K., Tolvanen, A., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2011). Social strategies during university studies predict early career work burnout and engagement: 18-year longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(1), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.01.002

[33] Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, I. M., Pinto, A. M., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002a). Burnout and engagement in university students: A cross-national study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(5), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033005003

[34] Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, I. M., Pinto, A. M., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002b). Burnout and engagement in university students: A cross-national study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(5), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033005003

[35] Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd

[36] Yavuz, G., & Dogan, N. (2014). Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS): A validity study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 2453–2457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.590

[37] Zakari, S., Walburg, V., & Chabrol, H. (2008). Étude du phénomène d’épuisement scolaire, de la dépression et des idées de suicides chez des lycéens français. Journal de Thérapie Comportementale et Cognitive, 18(3), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcc.2008.06.005

Abstract

References

How to cite