The Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the COVID-19 Burnout Scale

Background: Because of the long duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people may suffer greatly from the common burnout caused by this virus. Objectives: Considering the psychological consequences of COVID-19, this study investigated the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the COVID-19 Burnout Scale (COVID-19-BS). Methods: The Persian version of the COVID-19-BS was prepared through forward translation, reconciliation, and back-translation. The method of the study was descriptive (psychometric). The statistical population included all students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from October 2020 to November 2020. Using the convenience sampling method, 251 students were selected. All participants completed the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS), the Compassion Scale (CS), and the COVID- 19-BS. Convergent validity, divergent validity, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate the validity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 and LISREL 8.5 software. Results: The findings supported the single-factor structure of COVID-19-BS and a good internal consistency of the scale. Internal consistency obtained by Cronbach’s alpha method for the total score of C-19ASS was 0.72, indicating a good internal consistency. The COVID-19-BS had a positive and significant correlation with the C-19ASS (P = 0.01, r = 0.37) and a negative and significant correlation with the CS (P = 0.01, r = -0.41), indicating the convergent and divergent validity of this scale (P <0.01). Conclusions: The present psychometric study complements the cross-cultural literature of this instrument. The COVID-19-BS showed good validity and reliability, and it can be useful in assessing the burnout caused by COVID-19 in the Iranian population. This scale seems to be a useful and practical tool for assessing COVID-19 burnout in research and clinical settings.