Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI): Basics and Test
Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI): this article provides a practical explanation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), developed by Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson. In addition to explaining what this questionnaire is, this article also highlights its application and reliability, the different versions of this questionnaire, its importance, and its practical applications in organizations. The advantages and limitations are also explained, as well as the role of leadership in burnout prevention. This article also includes a Burnout Self-Assessment Test. Enjoy reading!
What is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)?
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is a psychometric tool designed in 1981 by Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson. It is internationally recognized as the standard for evaluating occupational burnout and is based on three aspects: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decrease in personal skills.
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was developed to evaluate both the severity and pattern of burnout, as well as the possible causes and elements that can lead to burnout. It is often used in both research and practice, such as in healthcare, education, and other sectors where there is a lot of interaction with people.
What exactly does it involve?
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is a questionnaire in which people can share their experiences with burnout. The questionnaire comprises between 16 and 22 questions, depending on the version, and measures three key elements of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decline in personal skills.
Emotional Exhaustion (EE)
Emotional exhaustion refers to the feeling that someone is completely exhausted by their work. This can manifest itself in fatigue, a lack of energy, and a feeling of being overwhelmed.
Depersonalization (DP)
Depersonalization, also known as cynicism, describes a distant or impersonal attitude towards clients, colleagues, or students. People with high scores on depersonalization often experience a certain emotional distance and may show less empathy.
Personal Accomplishment (PA)
Reduced personal competence refers to the feeling that one is falling short in one’s work, is less effective, and does not derive satisfaction from one’s performance.
The questions are usually answered on a Likert scale, ranging from “never” to “daily.” The scores per dimension provide insight into the extent to which someone experiences burnout symptoms and help to understand in which areas support is needed.
Application and reliability
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is used worldwide in both research and practice to measure and understand burnout. The instrument has been extensively validated and is known for its reliability and accuracy in measuring the three dimensions of burnout.
It is important to emphasize that the MBI is a self-reporting instrument and is intended as a tool to gain insights into work-related stress and burnout, but not as a diagnostic tool for formal medical assessment.
Using the MBI can help organizations recognize early signs of burnout in employees, plan interventions, and improve well-being within teams.
By analyzing scores per dimension, targeted measures can be taken to, for example, reduce emotional exhaustion, combat depersonalization, and strengthen the sense of personal effectiveness.
Versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
Since its original development, several versions of the MBI have been developed to address the specific contexts of different professional groups.
- MBI-HSS (Human Services Survey): The original version, aimed at professionals in healthcare and social services.
- MBI-HSS (MP) (Medical Personnel): An adapted version for medical personnel, with slightly modified wording.
- MBI-ES (Educators Survey): Specially developed for education, including teachers, administrative staff, and volunteers.
- MBI-GS (General Survey): For use in other professional groups, such as customer service, manufacturing, and management.
- MBI-GS (S) (Students): For adult students, such as those enrolled in college and university programs.
Each version has been carefully adapted so that the questions reflect the daily experiences and challenges of the target group.
Maslach Burnout Inventory test and Toolshero
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is an internationally recognized but copyrighted instrument and may not be freely distributed or modified.
Because we believe in the importance of accessible and practical knowledge, Toolshero has developed its own practical Burnout Self-Assessment Test based on the three scientifically substantiated dimensions of the MBI:
- Emotional exhaustion
- Depersonalization
- Reduced personal competence
The Toolshero Burnout Self-Assessment Test helps you recognize early signs of overload and gain insight into your energy balance, motivation, and work experience.
The test is practical, easy to complete, and provides a basis for discussing stress, recovery, and sustainable employability.
Download the Toolshero Burnout Self-Assessment Test
🔒 For members only | Get instant access to this Burnout Self-Assessment Test — plus unlimited access to 1,200+ expert articles and tools. 👉 Explore Membership OptionsThe importance of MBI
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is crucial for organizations that take the well-being of their employees seriously. Burnout is a complex and common problem that not only threatens the health of employees, but also the productivity and functioning of organizations.
The MBI offers a scientifically based and validated tool for measuring burnout. The three-dimensional approach mentioned above makes it possible to develop targeted interventions that address the specific aspects of burnout within an organization.
In addition, research emphasizes that the MBI plays an important role in understanding the nature of burnout, which is essential for developing effective interventions.
It enables organizations to not only assess the severity of burnout, but also to identify the underlying causes and risk factors.
These insights enable organizations to implement strategies aimed at improving work structure, reducing work stress, and promoting a healthy work culture.
Practical applications in organizations
The Maslach Burnout Inventory is often used in organizations by HR departments, managers, and occupational health and safety services to gain insight into the workload and well-being of employees.
By periodically administering the MBI, organizations can detect early signs of burnout and plan targeted interventions.
HR professionals use the results, for example, to monitor trends in emotional exhaustion or depersonalization within teams and to develop preventive measures, such as stress management training, adjusting workloads, or improving work processes.
Managers can use the insights from the MBI to conduct individual interviews, start coaching programs, or improve team dynamics. Occupational health and safety services use the information to draw up health and prevention policies and to reduce absenteeism due to burnout.
By systematically integrating the MBI into wellness programs, organizations can not only reduce the risk of burnout, but also increase job satisfaction, happiness at work, and employee productivity.
The advantages and limitations
The Maslach Burnout Inventory offers organizations and researchers a number of clear advantages. It has been validated worldwide and is scientifically substantiated, providing reliable insight into the three core aspects of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal competence.
The instrument can be applied flexibly in various sectors and professional groups and can be used both individually and at the team level. In addition, the MBI helps to develop targeted interventions and preventive measures by providing insight into specific stress factors within an organization.
However, the MBI also has limitations. Because it is a self-reporting instrument, scores can be subjectively influenced by personal perceptions or the desire to give socially desirable answers.
Furthermore, the MBI is not a diagnostic tool: a high score on burnout symptoms does not automatically mean that a medical diagnosis of burnout can be made. In addition, the MBI only provides a snapshot of the stress and exhaustion experienced, which means that repeated measurements are necessary to track trends and changes over time.
The role of leadership and organizational culture in burnout prevention
Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory focuses on individual experiences, the organizational context plays an equally important role in the development and prevention of burnout.
Leadership, communication, and work culture have a direct influence on how employees experience and deal with stress.
Research shows that a supportive management style, in which empathy, recognition, and autonomy are central, can significantly reduce the risk of burnout. When managers actively listen, set clear priorities, and provide room for recovery, employees feel safer and more appreciated.
In addition, a healthy organizational culture is essential. Teams that can talk openly about work pressure, mistakes, or personal boundaries develop greater resilience.
Integrating the MBI results into regular team meetings helps not only to identify individual problems, but also to address structural causes. These include excessive work pressure, unclear responsibilities, or a lack of social support. Combining this data with discussions about job satisfaction and motivation provides a more complete picture of well-being in the workplace.
Finally, organizations can benefit greatly by viewing the MBI not solely as a measurement tool, but as part of a broader well-being policy.
Regularly discussing trends, training managers in mental health, and encouraging recovery moments all contribute to sustainable employability. In this way, the MBI not only helps to measure stress, but also to create a culture in which prevention and people-oriented leadership are central.
Conclusion
The Maslach Burnout Inventory is an essential tool for anyone who wants to understand, prevent, or address burnout among employees.
The MBI not only provides insight into the severity of burnout symptoms, but also highlights the dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal competence) in which an individual is most vulnerable. This in-depth analysis enables organizations to develop targeted interventions, such as coaching, stress management programs, or adjustments to workloads and team processes.
For HR professionals, managers, and researchers, the MBI means that they no longer have to rely on gut feelings or incidental signals, but have objective and validated information on which to base decisions about well-being policy. By conducting regular measurements, trends in burnout within teams and departments can be monitored and early intervention can take place before absenteeism or long-term complaints arise.
💡 Tip: Want to gain even more insight into employee well-being and engagement? Be sure to read the article about the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). In that article, you will discover how this measurement tool assesses work engagement based on three dimensions: enthusiasm, dedication, and absorption. This information is particularly valuable for understanding which factors contribute to motivation and energy in the workplace. By combining the insights from the MBI with those from the UWES, you can not only identify burnout, but also actively work to increase job satisfaction and engagement within your organization.
Now it’s your turn
What did you take away from this article about the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)? Do you feel inspired to tackle burnout prevention and research within your organization? Have you dealt with this before, and what were your successes and lessons learned?
Share your experiences, questions, or success stories in the comments section below.
Recommended books and publications about the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
- Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (2018). Maslach Burnout Inventory™ Manual (4th ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press / Mind Garden. → The official manual for the MBI: contains instructions for administration, scoring, interpretation, and explanation of the different versions (HSS, GS, etc.).
- Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2022). The Burnout Challenge: Managing People’s Relationships with Their Jobs. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. → A more accessible book publication by the developers, which covers not only measurement but also interventions and organizational context — relevant for those who want to link the MBI to intervention policy.
- Maslach, C. (1982). Burnout: The Cost of Caring. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. → A classic text by one of the pioneers: explains the background of burnout syndrome, from which the MBI originates.
- Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99-113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205 → First publication presenting the MBI construct and measurement: valuable for those who want to understand the basics.
- Rohland, B., Kruse, J., & Mueller, C. (2023). Use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory among public health care professionals: A scoping review. JMIR Mental Health, 10(1), e44195. https://doi.org/10.2196/44195. → Recent overview of research using the MBI in practice (healthcare) — demonstrates the breadth of its application.
- Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., Hoogduin, K., Schaap, C., & Kladler, A. (2001). On the clinical validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Burnout Measure. Psychology & Health, 16(5), 565-582. https://doi.org/10.1080/0887044021000023864 → A critical evaluation of MBI validity: useful for those who want to understand how robust the measurement is.
- Yadama, G. N., & Drake, B. (1995). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Social Work Research, 19(3), 184-192. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/19.3.184 → Investigates the psychometric structure of the MBI using factor analysis — useful for methodological deepening.
How to cite this article:
Weijers, L. (2025). Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/human-resources/onboarding/
Original publication date: 10/22/2025 | Last update: 10/22/2025
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Lars Weijers
Lars Weijers is an experienced copywriter with an extensive marketing communications background. His specialisms lie in creative and active writing, combined with good search engine findability. Lars also works as an event and account manager with a commercial focus.
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