Mental and Somatic Ill‐Health as Long‐Term Predictors of the Burnout Symptoms Cognitive Weariness, Exhaustion, and Lack of Vitality in a General Adult Population

This study explored stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, and somatic ill-health as predictors of burnout symptoms in a general population. The objectives were to identify underlying latent symptom categories of burnout as well as other aspects of mental and somatic health and to examine whether these symptom categories can predict burnout symptoms 3 years later. Longitudinal data with 3-year follow-up time using validated questionnaires from 1722 participants from a general population in northern Sweden were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The EFA showed overlap between instruments and 10 latent categories of symptoms were identified and used as predictors of burnout in SEM analyses. Two SEM models were tested: one unadjusted and the other adjusting for burnout symptoms at baseline. The symptom categories of anxious tension and gastrointestinal problems were the strongest predictors of burnout symptoms 3 years later, in both models. Sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy for coping with stress were also important predictors in the unadjusted model. One important contribution of this study is the identification of the symptom category anxious tension which may well describe the experiential aspect of stress, incorporating feelings of anxiety, tension, and nervousness. The results indicate that anxious tension includes components that predict burnout symptoms. Gastrointestinal problems were also important predictors of burnout symptoms, and more research is needed to explain the mechanisms of these relationships, several possible mechanisms are proposed in this study. The study found burnout symptoms to be stable over time, potentially masking other symptoms. Anxious tension and gastrointestinal symptoms predicted burnout independently of baseline symptoms, whereas sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and low self-efficacy emerged as predictors only when baseline burnout was not adjusted for.