The Organisational Behaviour Psychosocial Research Unit (UNIPSICO), a research group of the University of Valencia, has published a book coordinated by Pedro R. Gil-Monte, Professor of the Department of Social Psychology, with an intervention program for the treatment and prevention of the burnout syndrome. It is a disease typified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a work-related health problem.
The book Prevención y tratamiento del síndrome de quemarse por el trabajo (burnout): programa de intervención (‘Prevention and treatment of burn-by-work syndrome (burnout): intervention program’) is the result of a research project funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Ref. PSI2013-48185-R. The intervention program has the objective of contributing to the improvement of the quality of people’s work life from the principles of Occupational Health Psychology, and has demonstrated its effectiveness in previous interventions.
This program has been designed to improve different psychological facets of the individual (emotions, cognitions and attitudes), dysfunctional behaviours and work-related psychosomatic disorders. The program applies a set of cognitive-behavioural techniques, along with other techniques to promote social interaction processes in a healthy way at work, such as training groups to improve social support and negotiating the role in work environments, training in relaxation techniques is also included.
The regular practice of these psychological and psychosocial techniques allows to reach healthier psychological states, reduce psychosomatic problems and improve interaction with other people in the workplace, in personal life and in family life. The benefits of the program are not only for people with problems arising from work stress, they can also benefit people and organisations that wish to promote occupational health and prevent psychosocial risks at work.
The burnout syndrome has been included in the ICD-11, an international classification of diseases published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as a work-related health problem. For WHO it is a health problem resulting from chronic stress in the workplace that has not been successfully managed.
Ángel Martínez, professor of the Department of Social Psychology of the University of Valencia; Ester Grau-Alberola, professor at the International University of La Rioja and member of UNIPSICO; Cristina Aguilar, clinical psychologist; Hugo Figueiredo-Ferraz, professor at the Valencian International University and member of UNIPSICO and Bruno Ribeiro, professor at the University of Murcia, have participated as co-authors of the book.
Pedro R. Gil-Monte is director of the Psychosocial Research Unit of Organisational Behaviour (UNIPSICO) (http://www.uv.es/~unipsico/). His research has been focusing for more than 30 years on the study of burnout syndrome, on the quality of work life and on the prevention of psychosocial risks at work. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications on these topics. Among the awards and honourable mentions received, they have been granted recognition by the Federal University of Paraíba for his significant contribution to international scientific production and for the development of an instrument for the evaluation of burnout syndrome or the distinction of the Chilean Society of Psychology of Work and Organisations (SCHIPTO) for his career and contributions to training and research in the field of Work and Organisational Psychology. As Director of UNIPSICO, he has received the “2014 Distinction to carry out research work in occupational risk prevention” of the Valencian Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INVASSAT).
UNISPICO: https://www.uv.es/~unipsico/
Book: Gil-Monte, P. R. (Coord.) (2019). Prevención y tratamiento del síndrome de quemarse por el trabajo (burnout): programa de intervención. Madrid: Pirámide. ISBN: 978-84-368-4173-2
