Shortening of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-from 23 to 12 items using content and Rasch analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Workplace Well-being

Background:

• Burnout is a significant occupational health issue with substantial costs to individuals and organizations.
• Recognized as a work-related disorder in many European countries, valid and reliable burnout measurement is crucial.
• Existing burnout questionnaires, like the 23-item Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), are often included in employee surveys to assess psychosocial risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a shorter version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), named BAT12, comprising 12 items.
• To evaluate the construct validity and differential item functioning of the BAT12 across age, gender, and country.
• To provide a more time-efficient instrument for regular organizational assessments of burnout.

Main Methods:

• A shorter version of the BAT (BAT12) was developed using a combination of quantitative (Rasch analysis) and qualitative (item content analysis, expert judgments) approaches.
• Data were sourced from representative working populations in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders).
• Construct validity was assessed using Rasch analysis, with an iterative item deletion procedure.

Main Results:

• The BAT12 was successfully developed through an iterative process, removing one item per subscale.
• The BAT12 meets Rasch model measurement criteria, accounting for local item dependency within subscales.
• The four subscales of the BAT12 can be aggregated into a single, reliable burnout score.

Conclusions:

• The BAT12 retains the comprehensive content of the original BAT while offering sound psychometric properties.
• The BAT12 demonstrates invariance across age groups, genders, and the two studied countries.
• The shorter BAT12 is a time-saving alternative to the BAT23, suitable for frequent use in employee surveys and occupational health assessments.