Abstract
Electronic diaries overcome important drawbacks of retrospective reports and capture fluctuations of psychological states and behavior. This study represents the first use of this method in clinically burned-out participants and aims to establish its feasibility concerning participant acceptability, compliance, and reactivity in this sample. Electronic diary measurement of burnout symptoms was performed 5 times a day for 2 weeks in 60 burned-out participants on sick leave and in 40 healthy controls. The method was well accepted, compliance was high (81%-96%), and no reactivity effect was found on the recording of burnout symptoms. We conclude that the electronic diary employed is accurate, reliable, and a promising tool in capturing key symptoms and their fluctuations in clinical burnout.
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Sonnenschein, M., Sorbi, M.J., van Doornen, L.J.P. et al. Feasibility of an electronic diary in clinical burnout. Int. J. Behav. Med. 13, 315–319 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm1304_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm1304_6