Burnout syndrome in sport-related jobs: a meta-analysis of recent evidence

Background: Burnout syndrome in sports is receiving increasing attention in the empirical literature applying psychometric tools. Since 2019, the number of scientific publications has doubled. This growth was also accompanied by a disregard for athletes as workers and burnout as a phenomenon emerging from a working relationship. This study aims to meta-analyze the empirical measurements of burnout using scales in athletes and occupations related to professional sports during 2014-2023. Results: The initial search detected 996 studies. After a screening guided by PRISMA principles, we meta-analyze 113 independent studies with 133 burnout measurements from 35,059 athletes, coaches, and referees engaged in sports in 29 countries. The results show a generalized use of the ABQ scale, a notable heterogeneity in the estimates, signs of publication biases in some specific subscales, higher mean scores in personal accomplishment than other burnout dimensions, a decreasing trend in global scores over time, a higher burnout prevalence in developed countries, and different mean scores according to the scale applied. Conclusions: The results highlight the need to continue improving the existing psychometric tools and focus interventions on the perception of accomplishment to reduce burnout incidence.