Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey

What it measures

The most widely used measure of occupational burnout, applicable across all professions. Exhaustion captures depletion of emotional and physical resources; Cynicism captures a detached, indifferent attitude toward work; Professional Efficacy captures feelings of competence and achievement. The MBI family is the gold standard for burnout research.

Response format

Likert (0–6, never to every day); three subscale scores

Representative items

• I feel emotionally drained from my work. (Exhaustion)
• I feel used up at the end of the workday. (Exhaustion)
• I have become less enthusiastic about my work. (Cynicism)
• I doubt the significance of my work. (Cynicism)
• In my opinion, I am good at my job. (Professional Efficacy)

This is a licensed instrument — representative items are shown for reference only. Obtain the original scale materials from the publisher before use in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Requires purchase from Mind Garden. Three separate subscale scores — do not combine into a total. High Exhaustion + High Cynicism + Low Professional Efficacy = burnout profile. The human services version (MBI-HSS) uses Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalisation. Paired with UWES-9 as opposite pole of work motivation continuum.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Schaufeli, W.B., Leiter, M.P., Maslach, C., & Jackson, S.E. (1996). Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey. In C. Maslach, S.E. Jackson, & M.P. Leiter (Eds.), Maslach Burnout Inventory manual (3rd ed.). Consulting Psychologists Press.

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