Psychosocial Risk Factors and Burnout Among Teachers: Can Emotional Intelligence Make a Difference?

Carla Barros (), Carina Fernandes and Pilar Baylina
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Carla Barros: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Carina Fernandes: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Pilar Baylina: ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Teaching is a complex profession that demands simultaneous cognitive and emotional efforts. The present study aims to determine whether teachers’ emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and burnout. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 215 secondary school teachers. Measurement instruments included the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) to assess burnout dimensions; the Health and Work Survey (INSAT) to evaluate psychosocial risk factors; and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-P) to assess emotional intelligence. A mediation/moderation analysis using the PROCESS macro was conducted to examine whether emotional intelligence mediates/moderates the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and burnout among teachers. The results show that psychosocial risk was a significant positive predictor of burnout (B = 0.313, p = 0.001), indicating that higher perceived risk was associated with higher burnout symptoms. Emotional intelligence did not significantly predict burnout on its own (B = 0.176, p = 0.364), and the interaction term (psychosocial risk × emotional intelligence) was not significant (B = 0.000, p = 0.995), suggesting that emotional intelligence does not moderate the relationship between psychosocial risks and burnout. These findings underscore a more holistic approach to address burnout, centered in intervention strategies that include a deeper analysis of organizational context determinants.

Keywords: psychosocial risk factors; burnout; emotional intelligence; teachers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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