HOW DOES ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY REDUCE BURNOUT AMONG ACADEMICIANS FROM MALAYSIAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Kok Ban Teoh; Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob

doi:10.32890/jps2023.26.2

Authors

Kok Ban Teoh School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32890/jps2023.26.2

Keywords:

burnout, academicians, Malaysian research universities, acceptance and commitment therapy, job demands

Abstract

The prevalence of burnout among academicians in Malaysian Research Universities (RUs) is a growing concern in contemporary
times. The confluence of high job demands, and limited job resources has contributed to heightened levels of burnout among
this population. Recognizing the urgency of addressing this issue, the present study conducts a systematic review to examine the
effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing burnout levels among academicians in RUs in Malaysia.
Through a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature, a limited number of studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified and
reviewed. The findings of the study demonstrate that ACT holds promise as an effective intervention for decreasing burnout levels among academicians, while simultaneously enhancing psychological flexibility. The implications of this study extend to both scholars and experts invested in mitigating the pervasiveness of burnout among academicians in Malaysian RUs, offering valuable insights for the development of targeted interventions and strategies.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Acker, G. M. (2003). Role conflict and ambiguity: Do they predict burnout among mental health service providers? Social Work in Mental Health, 1(3), 63-80.

Adekola, B. (2010). Gender differences in the experience of work burnout among university staff. African Journal of Business Management, 4(6), 886-889.

Ahmad, J., Saffardin, S. F., & Teoh, K. B. (2020). How does job demands and job resources affect work engagement towards burnout? The case of Penang preschool. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 12(5), 283-293.

Ahmady, S., Changiz, T., Masiello, I., & Brommels M. (2007). Organisational role stress among medical school faculty in Iran: Dealing with role conflict. Retrieved from https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6920-7-14

Ahsan, N., Abdullah, Z., Yong, D. G. F., & Alam, S. S. (2009). A study of job stress on job satisfaction among university staff in Malaysia: Empirical study. European Journal of Social Science, 8, 121-131.

Altbach, P. G. (2009). Peripheries and centers: research universities in developing countries. Asia Pacific Education Review, 10, 15-27.

Archibong, I. A., Bassey, A. O. G., & Effiom, D. O. (2010). Occupational stress sources among university academic staff. European Journal of Educational Studies, 2, 217-225.

Arma, N., & Ismail, N. H. (2016). Occupational stress and its associated factors among academician in a research university, Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 16(1), 81-91.

Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., Smeets, P. M., Strand, P., & Friman, P. (2004). Establishing relational responding in accordance with more-than and less-than as generalised operant behaviour in young children. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 4, 531-558.

Biglan, A., Layton, G., Jones, L., Hankins, M., & Rusby, J. (2013). The value of workshops on psychological flexibility for early childhood special education staff. Topics in early childhood special education, 32(4), 1-10.

Blix, A. G., Cruise, R., Mitchell, B. M., & Blix, G. (1994). Occupational stress among university teachers. Educational Research, 36(2), 157-169.

Bond, F., & Hayes, S. C. (2002). ACT at work. In F. Bond & W. Dryden (Eds.), Handbook of Brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (pp. 117-140). Chichester, England: Wiley.

Castro, E. M., Van Regenmortel, T., Vanhaecht, K., Sermeus, W., & Van Hecke, A. (2016). Patient empowerment, patient participation and patient-centeredness in hospital care: A concept analysis based on a literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(12), 1923-1939.

Chen, W., Haniff, J., Siau, C., Seet, W., Loh, S., Jamil, M.H., Sa’at, N., & Baharum, N. (2014). Burnout in academics: An empirical study in private universities in Malaysia. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 1(2), 62-72.

Cordes, C. L., & Dougherty, T. W. (1993). A review and an integration of research on job burnout. The Academy of Management Review, 18(4), 621-656.

Darabi, M., Macaskill, A., & Reidy, L. (2016). A qualitative study of the UK academic role: positive features, negative aspects and associated stressors in a mainly teaching-focused university. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 41(4), 566-580.

Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499-512.

Emery, D. W., & Vandenberg, B. (2010). Special education teacher burnout and ACT. International Journal of Special Education, 25(3), 119-131.

Fadlelmula, F. K. (2014). Academicians’ burnout levels. Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Faculty of Education, 33(2), 424-438.

Flaxman, P., & Bond, F. W. (2010). A randomised worksite comparison of acceptance and commitment therapy and stress inoculation training. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(8), 816-820.

Frögéli, E., Rudman, A., & Gustavsson, P. (2019). Preventing stress-related ill health among future nurses: Effects over 3 years. International Journal of Stress Management, 26(3), 272-286.

Ghorpade, J., Lackritz, J., & Singh, G. (2007). Burnout and personality: evidence from academia. Journal of Career Assessment, 15(2), 240-256.

Grandey, A. A., & Cropanzano, R. (1999). The conservation of resources model applied to work-family conflict and strain. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 54, 350-370.

Guthrie, S., Lichten, C. A., Van Belle, J., Ball, S., Knack, A., & Hofman, J. (2017). Understanding mental health in the research environment: A rapid evidence assessment. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2022.html

Harris, A. (2009). Creative leadership: Developing future leader. British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society, 23(1), 9-11.

Harrison, B. (1999). Are you destined to burnout? Fund Raising Management, 30, 25-27.

Hasley, M. (2014). Correlates and predictors of burnout and secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton, England).

Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette & M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive behavioral tradition (pp. 1-29). New York: Guilford.

Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Roche, B. (2001). Relational Frame Theory: A Post-Skinnerian account of human language and cognition. New York: Plenum Press.

Hayes, S. C., Bissett, R., Roget, N., Padilla, M., Kohlenberg, B. S., Fisher, G., … Niccolls, R. (2004). The impact of acceptance and commitment training and multicultural training on the stigmatising attitudes and professional burnout of substance abuse counselors. Behaviour Therapy, 35, 821–835.

Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1–25.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behaviour change. Guilford Press.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Second Edition: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioural disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.

Henny, J., Anita, A. R., Hayati, K. S., & Rampal, L. (2014). Prevalence of burnout and its associated factors among faculty academicians. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 10(1), 51-59.

Hind, R. R., Dornbusch, S. M., & Scott, W. R. (1974). A theory of evaluation applied to a university faculty. Sociology of Education, 47, 114-128.

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualising stress. American Psychologist, 44, 513-524.

Hobfoll, S. E., & Shirom, A. (2001). Conservation of resources theory: Applications to stress and management in the workplace. In: R. T. Golembiewski (Ed.), Handbook of organisational behaviour (pp. 57-81). New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.

Hosseinaei, A., Ahadi, H., Fata, L., Heidarei, A., & Mazaheri, M. M. (2013). Effects of group acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based training on job stress and burnout. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 19(2), 120–132.

Hsieh, J. Y. C., Pearson, T. E., & Kline, S. F. (2009). The moderating effects of job and personal life involvement on relationship between work-personal life conflict and intention to quit. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 8, 1-14.

Huda, B. Z., Rusli, B. N., Naing, L., Tengku, M. A., Winn, T., & Rampal, K. G. (2004). A study of job strain and dissatisfaction among lecturers in the school of medical sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 35(1), 210-218.

Jackson, R. A., Barnett, C. W., Stajich, G. V., & Murphy, J. E. (1993). An analysis of burnout among school of pharmacy faculty. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 57, 9-17.

Jeffcoat, T., & Hayes, S. C. (2012). A randomised trial of ACT bibliotherapy on the mental health of K-12 teachers and staff. Behaviour research and therapy, 50, 571-579.

Johns, M. M., & Ossoff, R. H. (2005). Burnout in academic chairs of otolaryngology: head and neck surgery. The Laryngoscope, 115(11), 2056-2061.

Juliana, A., Fairos, S. S., & Teoh, K. B. (2021). Do job demands-resources model affect burnout among Penang preschool teachers? Asia Proceedings of Social Sciences, 7(1), 60-63.

Juliana, A., Saffardin, F. S., & Teoh, K. B. (2021). Job Demands-Resources Model and burnout among Penang preschool teachers: The mediating role of work engagement. Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, 25(3), 6679-6691.

Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285-308.

Kendall, G. (2018, September 18). Comparing research impact. The Star, p. 2.

Khan, F., Rasli, A., Yusoff, R., & Ahmad, A. (2015). Do demographic make a difference to job burnout among university academicians? International Journal of Economics and Finance Issues, 5, 229-237.

Kim-Wan, M. O. (1991). Teacher burnout: relationships with stress, personality, and social support. Chinese University of Hong Kong Educational Journal, 19(1), 3-11.

Kokkinos, C. M. (2007). Job stress, personality, and burnout in primary school teachers. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(1), 222-243.

Kurz, T., Gardner, B., Verplanken, B., & Abraham, C. (2014). Habitual behaviours or patterns of practice? Explaining and changing repetitive climate-relevant actions. WIREs Climate Change, 6(1), 113-128.

Lackritz, J. R. (2004). Exploring burnout among university faculty: incidence, performance, and demographic issues. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 713-729.

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.

Leiter, M. P., & Schaufeli, W. B. (1996). Consistency of the burnout construct across occupations. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 9(3), 229-243.

Leoni, G. B., Versiani, M. A., Silva-Sousa, Y. T., Bruniera, J. F., Pécora, J. D., & Sousa-Neto, M. D. (2016). Ex vivo evaluation of four final irrigation protocols on the removal of hard-tissue debris from the mesial root canal system of mandibular first molars. International Endodontic Journal, 50(4), 398-406.

Lloyd, J., Bond, F. W., & Flaxman, P. (2013). The value of psychological flexibility: Examining psychological mechanisms underpinning a cognitive behavioural therapy intervention for burnout. Work and Stress, 27(2), 181-199.

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 2(2), 99-113.

Maslach, C., Leiter, M. P., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008). Measuring burnout. In C. L. Cooper & S. Cartwright (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Organisational Well-being (pp. 86–108). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397-422.

Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (2012). Pelan Strategik Pengajian Tinggi Negara (PSPTN). Retrieved from http://www.mohe.gov.my/portal/info-kementerian-pengajian-tinggi/pelan-strategik-html

Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (2017). Amanat Tahun Baru 2017. Retrieved from https://www.mohe.gov.my/index.php/muat-turun/awam/teks-ucapan-dan-slide/2017/amanat-tahun-baharu-2017/253-amanat-2017-menteri-pendidikan-tinggi

Noone, S. J., & Hastings, R. P. (2011) Values and psychological acceptance as correlates of burnout in support staff working with adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 4(2), 79-89.

Ofoegbu, F., & Nwandiani, M. (2006). Level of perceived stress among lecturers in Nigerian Universities. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 33, 66-74.

Petitta, L., & Vecchione, M. (2011). Job burnout, absenteeism, and extra role behaviours. Journal of Workplace Behavioural Health, 26(2), 97-121.

Puolakanaho, A., Tolvanen, A., Kinnunen, S. M., & Lappalainen, R. (2020). A psychological flexibility-based intervention for Burnout: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Contextual Behavioural Science, 15, 52-67.

Quacquarelli Symonds (2021). Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2022. Retrieved from https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2022

Reeve, A., Moghaddam, N., Tickle, A., & Young, D. (2021). A brief acceptance and commitment intervention for work-r