Validation of the new brief 6-item version of the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure

The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire/Measure (SMBQ/M) is one of the most commonly used measures of burnout. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the present study aimed to evaluate the model fit, composite reliability, and factorial (i.e. convergent and discriminant) validity of the new brief Swedish version of the scale-labeled SMBM-6. In addition, we used Cronbach’s α as an indicator of the internal consistency of the total scale. The SMBM-6 consists of two subscales: the emotional and physiological exhaustion subscale (three items) and the cognitive weariness subscale (three items). A total of 1251 teachers in Sweden were included in the study. The analyses showed that the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 has an excellent model fit and good convergent validity. The discriminant validity for the cognitive weariness subscale was good, but slightly inadequate for the physiological exhaustion subscale. Composite reliability and Cronbach’s α indicated high internal consistency for the subscales and the total scale, respectively. Multi-group invariance tests for age indicated no violation of invariance. These results are consistent with those of the study by Almén and Jansson (2021), in which the SMBM-6 was developed, and a subsequent psychometric study by Sundström et al. (2022). In conclusion, there is strong support for the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 as a reliable and valid scale for measuring burnout. Testing the scale in languages other than Swedish is warranted.