# Validity Evidence for the Secondary Symptoms of the Burnout Assessment Tool: A Brazilian Study

## TL;DR

This study validates a Brazilian version of the Burnout Assessment Tool to measure secondary burnout symptoms like psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints.

## Contribution

It provides evidence for the reliability of the BAT-S in assessing secondary burnout symptoms in Brazilian professionals.

## Key findings

- A two-factor model for psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints showed better fit than a unidimensional model.
- The BAT-S demonstrated strong internal consistency for both secondary symptom scales.
- The tool is reliable for assessing secondary burnout symptoms in occupational health contexts.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
This study addresses burnout as a multidimensional occupational health condition, as conceptualized by the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), encompassing exhaustion, mental distancing, cognitive impairment and emotional impairment, complemented with psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints as secondary symptoms of burnout.By applying the BAT framework, the study contributes to improved identification and monitoring of burnout symptoms that represent a growing public mental health concern among working populations.

This study addresses burnout as a multidimensional occupational health condition, as conceptualized by the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), encompassing exhaustion, mental distancing, cognitive impairment and emotional impairment, complemented with psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints as secondary symptoms of burnout.

By applying the BAT framework, the study contributes to improved identification and monitoring of burnout symptoms that represent a growing public mental health concern among working populations.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
The use of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) provides a theoretically grounded and comprehensive assessment of burnout, supporting more accurate estimation of burnout-related mental health risks.The findings strengthen the evidence base for recognizing burnout as a relevant indicator of psychological and psychosomatic functioning with implications for mental health surveillance.

The use of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) provides a theoretically grounded and comprehensive assessment of burnout, supporting more accurate estimation of burnout-related mental health risks.

The findings strengthen the evidence base for recognizing burnout as a relevant indicator of psychological and psychosomatic functioning with implications for mental health surveillance.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
The results support the use of the BAT as a standardized instrument for assessing burnout symptoms in occupational and public health contexts.The study highlights the importance of early detection of core and secondary burnout symptoms to inform preventive strategies and guide mental health promotion initiatives in the workplace.

The results support the use of the BAT as a standardized instrument for assessing burnout symptoms in occupational and public health contexts.

The study highlights the importance of early detection of core and secondary burnout symptoms to inform preventive strategies and guide mental health promotion initiatives in the workplace.

Burnout syndrome is conceptualized as a work-related psychological condition primarily marked by persistent exhaustion, emotional and cognitive impairment and mental distancing. In addition to these core dimensions, burnout may give rise to secondary symptoms, including psychological distress, psychosomatic complaints, and depressive mood. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) includes specific measures for both primary and secondary symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the validity evidence of the BAT’s secondary symptoms Brazilian version scale (BAT-S). The sample consisted of 1.750 professionals (71% women), with a mean age of 39 years (SD = 11). Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that a model of two oblique first-order factors, differentiating psychological distress from psychosomatic complaints, provided a superior fit compared to the unidimensional solution. The scale also presented satisfactory internal consistency for the scales of psychological distress (α = 0.88 and ω = 0.90) and psychosomatic complaints (α = 0.85 and ω = 0.87). The BAT-S represents a reliable tool to assess these secondary symptoms of burnout, advancing research that integrates behavioral and physiological markers, offering practical applications for occupational health interventions and preventive strategies in the workplace.