The Role of Guilt Feelings in the Development of the Burnout Process: The Influence on Psychosomatic Problems

Burnout is a psychological consequence of prolonged work-related stress. Previous studies have concluded that guilt feelings could explain the development of the burnout process and its relationship with other health disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mediating role of guilt feelings in the relationship between burnout and psychosomatic problems. The sample comprised 714 Brazilian teachers (82.10% women). Burnout was assessed using the Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI). The hypotheses were evaluated together using a path model to test the mediating role of guilt feelings in the development of burnout and its relationship with psychosomatic problems. Two models were constructed: the hypothesized model (i.e., indolence → guilt → psychosomatic problems) vs. the alternative model (i.e., indolence → psychosomatic problems → guilt). According to the results, the hypothesized model obtained a satisfactory fit to the data, whereas the alternative model's fit was found to be inadequate. We concluded that the hypothesized model was a good representation of the relationship among burnout, guilt feelings and psychosomatic problems. We recommend taking into consideration feelings of guilt to improve the diagnosis of burnout.