The Treatment-Related Burnout Scale for Rheumatic Diseases: Development and Preliminary Validation

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Psychology
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Treatment-related burnout is a significant concern for patients with chronic rheumatic diseases.
• Existing instruments may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of burnout in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Treatment-Related Burnout Scale for Rheumatic Diseases (TBS-RD).
• To assess burnout levels and associated factors in patients with rheumatologic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Methodological and descriptive study involving two independent patient samples.
• Scale development via literature review and expert consultation, followed by content validity assessment (Davis technique).
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability (Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability) and validity (average variance extracted) assessments.

Main Results:

• The final 28-item TBS-RD demonstrated a four-factor structure (Emotional/Cognitive Exhaustion, Treatment-Related Exhaustion, Functional Burden, Healthcare System Burden).
• The scale exhibited satisfactory reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.966) and construct validity.
• Patients reported moderate treatment-related burnout, with emotional and cognitive exhaustion being the most prevalent dimension.

Conclusions:

• The TBS-RD is a valid and reliable multidimensional instrument for assessing treatment-related burnout in rheumatologic diseases.
• The scale can enhance clinical assessment and research by evaluating the psychosocial burden of long-term treatment.
• Findings underscore the need for individualized, psychosocially informed clinical management, noting gender as a significant factor in burnout.