Association between burnout risk and overcommitment in Ukrainian and German kindergarten teachers

Psychological stress in the education profession can cause health impairments in educators. The aim of the cross-sectional study was to analyze the correlation between overcommitment (OC) and the risk of burnout among German (G) and Ukrainian (U) kindergarten teachers. The sample of 292 respondents consisted of 185 German and 107 Ukrainian kindergarten teachers. The OC and the risk of burnout were assessed by means of standardized questionnaires in German and Russian. Over 70% of the study participants had normal OC, 25.4% of the German and 22.4% of the Ukrainian educators showed a critical OC (> 18 points) and in some cases even some symptoms of burnout. An increased risk of burnout was present in 4.9% (D) and 2.8% (U) of the educators. In both subsamples OC was positively correlated with the dimensions of emotional exhaustion (r = 0.410 D and = 0.496 U) and depersonalization (r = 0.225 D and = 0.444 U) as well as the risk of burnout (r = 0.336 D and = 0.495 U). Critical OC can have a negative impact on mental health and increase the risk of burnout. Preventive measures should be taken, especially for educators with a critical OC, to be able to counteract the mental impairments. Resource-oriented approaches could complement the offer.