Stress Perception, Emotional Intelligence and Burnout Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study of Teachers' Strengths

The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the protective role of emotional intelligence (EI) as a personal resource in the burnout (BT) process of Croatian teachers using the burnout model by Maslach & Jackson (1981). The study was conducted over two school years and included 161 secondary school teachers (34 male, 127 female) aged 24 to 65 years (M = 45.35, SD = 10.55). Hierarchical regression analyses were performed. The moderating effect of teachers' EI on the relationship between stress and BT in two consecutive years was partially demon- strated. The longitudinal moderating effect of expressing and labelling emotions (EL), an aspect of EI, on the relationship between stress and depersonalisation was found. As a function of the increase in stress (Time 1), teachers with a lower EL were more prone to depersonalisation (Time 2), in contrast to teachers with a more pronounced EL. The findings support the provision of systematic emotional support for teachers in an environment where they can express their emotions, e.g. through supervision, which can be incorporated into BT prevention strategies.