OCCUPATIONAL STRESS, COGNITIVE APPRAISAL, BURNOUT AND WORK ENGAGEMENT IN CIVIL AVIATION

This study was done with flight crew workers, having the following goals: (a) analyze the experience of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement; (b) analyze the importance of the cognitive appraisal processes in the way participants adapt to work conditions; and (c) analyze the predictors of burnout and work engagement. The study included 184 professionals (121 males; 65,8%), that responded to an evaluation protocol with measures of occupational stress, cognitive appraisal, burnout, and work engagement. The results revealed four main aspects: (a) the participants assumed significant levels of occupational stress (27,8%), having been reported two cases of burnout; (b) the cabin crew assumed a more negative professional experience than pilots; (c) cognitive appraisal processes assumed a central role in how professionals respond to job demands, exerting an influence in the experience of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement; and (d) occupational stress and Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga. Telf. +253.604.232. E-mail: rgomes@psi.uminho.pt Cátia Baganha, A. Rui Gomes, & Anabela Esteves 165 www.sp-ps.pt cognitive appraisal were important variables in the prediction of burnout and work engagement. In sum, the results of this study indicated the stressful nature of this activity and the importance of cognitive appraisal in human adaptation in work contexts.