Premium
Burnout versus work engagement in their effects on 24‐hour ambulatory monitored cardiac autonomic function
Author(s) -
van Doornen Lorenz J. P.,
Houtveen Jan H.,
Langelaan Saar,
Bakker Arnold B.,
van Rhenen Willem,
Schaufeli Wilmar B.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
stress and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1532-2998
pISSN - 1532-3005
DOI - 10.1002/smi.1279
Subject(s) - burnout , ambulatory , autonomic function , heart rate variability , medicine , autonomic nervous system , cardiology , psychology , vagal tone , cardiac function curve , heart rate , parasympathetic nervous system , heart failure , clinical psychology , blood pressure
Burnout has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This relationship may be mediated by a stress‐related disruption in cardiac autonomic activity. The aim of the present study was to assess cardiac autonomic activity (sympathetic and parasympathetic) during a working day in burned out managers. Thirty burned out, 29 healthy control and 29 engaged managers (a psychologically contrasting group) were identified using the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐General Survey (MBI‐GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory measurements were carried out during a regular workday and the subsequent night. Pre‐ejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were used as measures of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, respectively. Contrary to expectations, the burned out, engaged and control groups did not differ in cardiac sympathetic and cardiac parasympathetic activity, or heart rate. Thus, burnout does not seem to be associated with an unfavourable cardiac autonomic profile. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.