A test of Leiter's process model of burnout

This study among Dutch nurses (N = 156) tested Leiter's 1993 process model of burnout. The LISREL results of this study partially support Leiter's model. It appeared that emotional exhaustion was primarily related with the demand variable work overload while depersonalization was, to a lesser degree, associated with the resource variable coworker support. Personal accomplishment was significantly related with coping and emotional exhaustion was associated with depersonalization. However, Leiter's model did not fit to the data in all respects. Modifications indices provided by LISREL 8 suggested to relax the relationship between: (1) coping and depersonalization and (2) social support and emotional exhaustion. Because these relationships were supported by both theory and existing empirical evidence, they were successively added to the model. Eventually, the model improved considerably and all selected criteria were met. Several relationships in the final model, however, were nonsignificant (e.g., the relationship between personal accomplishment and autonomy and participation, respectively).