Work-Related Burnout, Mental Health, and Spiritual Bypass: A Mediational Study of Employees

The present study investigated the relationship between work-related burnout, spiritual bypass, and mental health in employees. The purpose of the study is to find out the mediating role of Spiritual bypass between work-related burnout and mental health in employees. The total sample consists of 180 employees including men (102) and women (78) from the private and government sector, which are selected through non-probability purposive sampling. The data was collected in person and the work-related burnout subscale from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Spiritual Bypass Scale were used. Results of the Pearson Product Moment correlation reveal that work-related burnout is negatively related to mental health as well as spiritual bypass. Spiritual bypass was also found to be positively related to mental health. Moreover, spiritual bypass plays a mediating role between work-related burnout and mental health in employees. This study highlights the implications for employees, workers in private institutions, and private business owners. Focusing on the Pakistani workforce, the study highlights the role of spiritual bypass in a context where spirituality often intersects with personal and professional life. Furthermore, this is one of the first studies to empirically establish the mediating role of spiritual bypass between work-related burnout and mental health, as per our knowledge. Thirdly, the inclusion of participants from both private and governmental sectors ensures the findings are relevant to diverse organisational settings. Lastly, this study highlights the interventions required for mental health practices needed in the workplace as well as how spiritual bypass can be used positively.