The Management Standards Indicator Tool and evaluation of burnout

Background Psychosocial hazards in the workplace can impact upon employee health. The UK Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT) appears to have utility in relation to health impacts but we were unable to find studies relating it to burnout.

Aims To explore the utility of the MSIT in evaluating risk of burnout assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS).

Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of 128 borough council employees. MSIT data were analysed according to MSIT and MBI-GS threshold scores and by using multivariate linear regression with MBI-GS factors as dependent variables.

Results MSIT factor scores were gradated according to categories of risk of burnout according to published MBI-GS thresholds, and identified priority workplace concerns as demands, relationships, role and change. These factors also featured as significant independent variables, with control, in outcomes of the regression analysis. Exhaustion was associated with demands and control (adjusted R2 = 0.331); cynicism was associated with change, role and demands (adjusted R2 =0.429); and professional efficacy was associated with managerial support, role, control and demands (adjusted R2 = 0.413).

Conclusions MSIT analysis generally has congruence with MBI-GS assessment of burnout. The identification of control within regression models but not as a priority concern in the MSIT analysis could suggest an issue of the setting of the MSIT thresholds for this factor, but verification requires a much larger study. Incorporation of relationship, role and change into the MSIT, missing from other conventional tools, appeared to add to its validity.