PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT OF TEACHERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN UKRAINE UNDER MARTIAL LAW

Abstract

The article examines the influence of psychological factors on the intensity of professional burnout among teachers of higher educational institutions in Ukraine under martial law. Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), “Assessment of One's Own Burnout Potential” (J. Greenberg), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), an empirical study was conducted of 51 teachers from nine universities in different regions of Ukraine, taking into account parameters such as gender, age, marital status, presence of children, employment status, length of service, part-time employment, format of the educational process, and organizational changes as predictors of psycho-emotional exhaustion.

The average values across all MBI scales – emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment reduction – demonstrate a high degree of burnout in the sample. It has been established that women are characterized by greater emotional tension and lower professional self-esteem, while men more often show signs of depersonalization and psychological distancing. The most critical manifestations of emotional exhaustion are observed in respondents with increased family or professional stress.

A powerful trigger for exhaustion and reduced professional effectiveness is working multiple jobs, which complicates the possibility of psychological recovery for both men and women. Statistical differences between groups in terms of learning format show that offline learning for women and distance learning for men increase emotional stress and contribute to increased depersonalization. Teachers with more than 30 years of experience, as well as women with 5–10 years of experience, showed the most significant decline in professional success; this indicates different crisis periods in professional life among gender groups. It has been proven that the systemic overload of educational work in conditions of martial law, organizational changes, chronic uncertainty, and resource shortages create a persistent dominance of stressors over restorative factors.

The results of the study emphasize the need to implement burnout prevention programs at the level of educational institutions, aimed at optimizing workload and strengthening psychological support.