The Relationship Between Job Burnout and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Firefighters: Colleagueship as a Moderator : Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Secondary Logo

Journal Logo

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

The Relationship Between Job Burnout and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Firefighters

Colleagueship as a Moderator

Cui, Lei PhD; Huang, Ning PhD; Bai, Yashuang MPH; Fu, Mingqi PhD; Zia, Sidra MSc; Guo, Jing PhD

Author Information
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 64(8):p 659-664, August 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002555

Objectives 

This study aims to investigate the association between job burnout and depressive symptoms among Chinese firefighters, assuming colleagueship to play a moderating role in the aforementioned relationship.

Methods 

This study is based on an online survey recruiting 1328 Chinese male firefighters from July 1 to August 31, 2021. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the associations.

Results 

This study revealed that all dimensions of job burnout were associated with worse depressive symptoms. Cynicism (β = 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.236, 0.356) had the strongest association with depressive symptoms, followed by emotional exhaustion and inefficacy. Moreover, firefighters with better affective colleagueship (β = −0.10; 95% CI, −0.141, −0.061) and better obligatory colleagueship (β = −0.07; 95% CI, −0.115, −0.034) were less likely to have depressive symptoms when confronted with job burnouts.

Conclusions 

This study suggests employers and practitioners should target their intervention efforts at both job burnout and colleagueship.

Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

You can read the full text of this article if you:

Access through Ovid