Burnout test (BAT-12): a private 3-minute self-check for work burnout

Burnout is a state of exhaustion that builds up when stress at work goes on for a long time without enough recovery. The World Health Organization describes burn-out in ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, with three features: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism about the job, and feeling less effective at work. The term applies to work only.³

The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) measures four core symptoms, with three questions each in this 12-question version:¹

• Exhaustion: feeling physically and mentally drained at work, and struggling to recover after work.
• Mental distance: losing enthusiasm for work, or feeling a strong aversion to it.
• Cognitive impairment: trouble concentrating and making mistakes at work.
• Emotional impairment: finding it hard to control your emotions or reactions at work.

This is the work-related version, for people in paid work.

Each answer scores from 1 (“Never”) to 5 (“Always”). The BAT manual uses the average of the 12 answers, from 1 to 5. This page shows the total, from 12 to 60, which puts every person in exactly the same range as the average would.²

These cut-offs are Belgian norms: they come from employees in Flanders, Belgium, and have not been tested in Bangladesh. For the 12-question version, the manual recommends using only the total score for an individual; it prefers the longer 23-question version when a fuller individual assessment is needed.²

A result in the low risk range means your answers look like those of Belgian employees who were not at risk of burnout. A result in the at-risk or very-high-risk range means your answers look more like those of people with burnout symptoms. Neither result is a diagnosis.

Burnout overlaps with other problems. Exhaustion, poor concentration and irritability can also come from depression, anxiety, poor sleep or a physical illness, and research shows that burnout and depression overlap.⁶ If you feel low or anxious most of the day, outside work as well, or you no longer enjoy things you used to, a depression or anxiety self-check and a talk with a professional may tell you more than this score alone.

Burnout is not only a personal problem, either. The World Health Organization recommends that employers act on how work is organised, and train managers to support their staff.⁴

Small steps can protect your energy while you look at the bigger picture:

• Protect recovery time. Keep regular sleep, take short breaks during the day, and use your days off to rest.
• Set boundaries. Agree on a time to stop checking work messages, and say no to extra tasks when you are already overloaded, if you can.
• Talk about workload. If it feels safe, speak with your manager or human resources about priorities, deadlines and support.
• Stay connected and active. Spend time with family and friends, and move your body every day, even with a short walk.
• Learn stress-management skills. The World Health Organization’s free guide Doing What Matters in Times of Stress teaches short skills you can practise in a few minutes a day.⁵

If you are thinking about a big change, such as leaving a job, it can help to talk it through first with someone you trust or with a professional.

See a qualified professional — a BMDC-registered psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist — or your doctor if:

• your result is in the at-risk or very-high-risk range and does not improve with rest;
• exhaustion makes it hard to get through the day, at work or at home;
• you feel low, hopeless or anxious most of the time, or have lost interest in things you used to enjoy;
• you sleep badly, or rely on alcohol, sleeping pills or other substances to cope;
• you feel constantly tired and have not had a medical check-up.

Care is available in private practice and at public hospitals.

The Burnout Assessment Tool was developed by Wilmar B. Schaufeli, Hans De Witte and Steffie Desart at KU Leuven in Belgium, and published with its validation in 2020.¹ The BAT-12 is its short version. The authors allow anyone to use it free of charge without asking permission, as long as it is not modified and their publication is cited.

The BAT is available in other languages, but not yet in Bangla. We never translate a validated questionnaire ourselves, so our Bangla page shows the English questions. A Bangla version will be added only when a properly translated and tested version is available.