Professional burnout of university educators: psychological and organizational factors

Background. Burnout among higher education faculty represents a significant occupational health concern with direct implications for teaching quality and institutional performance. The convergence of increased administrative burden, digital transformation, and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified emotional exhaustion across academic settings worldwide.
Objective. To systematize the psychological, social, and organizational determinants of professional burnout among university faculty and to substantiate evidence-based principles for its prevention.
Main Content. Key risk factors examined include chronic work overload, role ambiguity, limited professional autonomy, insufficient institutional support, and interpersonal workplace conflict. Burnout manifestations are analyzed comparatively across technical, humanities, and medical universities. The rationale for multimodal diagnostic approaches — combining standardized instruments (MBI, OLBI) with clinical assessment methods — is discussed. Digital transformation is identified as an independent contributor to emotional exhaustion. Organizational and psychological prevention strategies are proposed, tailored to the characteristics of different academic environments.
Conclusion. Effective burnout prevention in higher education requires the integration of validated diagnostic tools, targeted institutional interventions, and sustained psychological support adapted to the specific profile of each educational organization.

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