Burnout syndrome among education professionals: challenges for well-being and teaching performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62697/rmiie.v5i4.445Keywords:
Burnout syndrome, teacher well-being, mental health, teaching performance, occupational stressAbstract
Burnout syndrome is one of the leading occupational health problems currently affecting education professionals and represents a growing challenge to the quality and sustainability of educational systems. The objective of this article was to analyze burnout syndrome among teachers through a literature review of recent scientific evidence, examining its conceptual foundations, risk factors, consequences for well-being and professional performance, as well as the main prevention and intervention strategies. The literature search was conducted using international scientific databases and publications from specialized organizations, with priority given to studies published between 2018 and 2026. The reviewed evidence demonstrates that burnout is a multidimensional phenomenon arising from the interaction of high job demands, insufficient organizational support, administrative overload, limited opportunities for professional development, and work-life imbalance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that teacher burnout negatively affects mental health, job satisfaction, professional commitment, teaching quality, and educational outcomes. The studies analyzed consistently show that interventions focused exclusively on the individual are insufficient unless accompanied by structural changes within educational institutions. Consequently, burnout prevention requires comprehensive policies that combine the strengthening of personal resources with organizational strategies aimed at improving working conditions, promoting teacher well-being, and fostering higher-quality and more sustainable education.
Downloads
References
Agyapong, B., Obuobi-Donkor, G., Burback, L., & Wei, Y. (2022a). Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression among Teachers: A Scoping Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(17), 10706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710706
Agyapong, B., Wei, Y., da Luz Dias, R., & Agyapong, V. I. O. (2022b). Burnout and associated psychological problems among teachers and the impact of the Wellness4Teachers supportive text messaging program: Protocol for a cross-sectional and program evaluation study. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(7), e37934. https://doi.org/10.2196/37934
Angelini, G., Mamprin, C., Borrelli, I., Santoro, P. E., Gualano, M. R., Moscato, U., & Fiorilli, C. (2024). Engaged teachers and well-being: the mediating role of burnout dimensions. Health psychology and behavioral medicine, 12(1), 2404507. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2024.2404507
Appiah-Odame, E. K., & Frempong, G. (2025). The silent crisis of teacher burnout: Systemic challenges and coping mechanisms. Educational Point, 2(2), e136. https://doi.org/10.71176/edup/17638
Arraz, F. M. (2018). Burnout syndrome in teachers. Revista Científica Multidisciplinar Núcleo do Conhecimento, 3(6), 34–47. https://www.nucleodoconhecimento.com.br/health/burnout-in-teachers
Avola, P., Soini-Ikonen, T., Jyrkiäinen, A., & Pentikäinen, V. (2025). Interventions to teacher well-being and burnout: A scoping review. Educational Psychology Review, 37, Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09986-2
Bezie, A. E., Zewude, G. T., Tesfaye, A. H., Yirdaw, A. A., Abie, A. B., & Abere, G. (2025). Work-related burnout and its associated factors among kindergarten teachers: A multi-center cross-sectional study in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article 1453504. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1453504
Cahill, B. (2025). Teacher burnout: What it is, key statistics, symptoms, and prevention strategies. Discovery Education. https://www.discoveryeducation.com/blog/educational-leadership/teacher-burnout/
Cefai, C., Galea, N., Spiteri, R., & Cavioni, V. (2025). From burnout to growth: The relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction, wellbeing and mental health. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1708863. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1708863
Christopoulou, S., Antonopoulou, H., Zapantis, R., Gkintoni, E., & Halkiopoulos, C. (2026). Teacher Well-Being and Burnout Resilience: Dimensional Independence, Pandemic Burden, and Profile Analysis in Primary Education. International journal of environmental research and public health, 23(2), 190. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23020190
Dlamini, N. G., & Dlamini, N. D. (2024). Understanding the well-being challenges confronting academic staff in South African universities: A narrative review. Discover Education, 3, Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00089-8
Guider, H., Hadrya, F., Lafraxo, M. A., El Madhi, Y., Soulaymani, A., Mokhtari, A., & Hami, H. (2024). Teaching under pressure: assessing burnout among high school teachers. The Pan African medical journal, 48, 78. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2024.48.78.42914
Li, X., Xu, H., Zhang, J., & Cao, X. (2025). The relationship between occupational stress and burnout among primary and secondary school physical education teachers: evidence from multiverse-style analysis and diary method. BMC psychology, 13(1), 1003. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03351-2
Muradova Natiq Qizi, S., & Bayramov Bashir Oglu, M. (2025). Psychopedagogical problems of emotional burnout syndrome in teachers and students. Revista Gênero e Interdisciplinaridade, 6(1), 37–61. https://doi.org/10.51249/gei.v6i01.2381
Pakdee, S., Cheechang, P., Thammanoon, R., Krobpet, S., Piya-amornphan, N., Puangsri, P., & Gosselink, R. (2025). Burnout and well-being among higher education teachers: Influencing factors of burnout. BMC Public Health, 25, Article 1409. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22602-w
Sánchez-Narváez, F., Velasco-Orozco, J. J., & Pérez-Archundia, E. (2023). Burnout Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Basic Education Teachers in Mexico. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), 6276. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136276
Troubouni, E., Antonopoulou, H., Kourtidou, S., Gkintoni, E., & Halkiopoulos, C. (2026). Cognitive-Emotional Teacher Burnout Syndrome: A Comprehensive Behavioral Data Analysis of Risk Factors and Resilience Patterns During Educational Crisis. Psychiatry International, 7(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7010026
United Nations Children's Fund. (2023). Professional burnout is one of the greatest challenges for teachers. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/professional-burnout-one-greatest-challenges-teachers
Usán Supervía, P., & Salavera Bordás, C. (2020). Burnout Syndrome, Engagement and Goal Orientation in Teachers from Different Educational Stages. Sustainability, 12(17), 6882. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176882
World Health Organization. (2025). Mental health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Karmilah Abdullah, Sharon Yong Yee Ong

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista Mexicana de Investigación e Intervención Educativa (RMIIE), of Universidad Pablo Latapí Sarre agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.






