The relationship between colleagues' social support and burnout: a scoping review of quantitative research

Social support, particularly from colleagues, is recognized as an important protective factor against burnout. However, the literature on this association is fragmented, making it difficult to draw any conclusions and orient future research. To fill this gap, this study seeks to map the extent, range and nature of the quantitative scientific literature examining the relationship between colleagues' social support and burnout.

A scoping review was performed on nine databases, with a total of 154 studies included.

Most studies were cross-sectional, were conducted in Europe and North America and examined workers from the health and social services sector. A wide variety of questionnaires were used to measure colleagues' social support, while the majority of studies used the Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure burnout. Although there has been a significant increase in studies examining the relationship between colleagues' social support and burnout over the years, most such studies were conducted with homogeneous samples. Very few studies (7.8%) discuss aspects of diversity among the participants (e.g., gender, ethnicity). Studies also lack consistency in terms of the measurements used to assess colleagues' social support and thus the obtained results.

Further studies that use longitudinal designs, apply comprehensive and multidimensional measures of social support and focus on participants with diverse attributes (e.g., non-heterosexual participants, participants living with a mental illness) are needed to provide a more nuanced understanding of the role of colleagues' social support in burnout.