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

Abstract

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.