What does the BAT measure? Burnout complaints, not causes
The BAT measures burnout complaints: four core symptoms (exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment) and two secondary ones (psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints). [1][2] It does not measure the causes or consequences of burnout. [1]
What do the core symptoms cover?
Exhaustion covers mental and physical tiredness and difficulty recovering energy. Mental distance covers lack of enthusiasm, indifference, and cynicism about your job. Cognitive impairment covers trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, and remembering. Emotional impairment covers difficulty controlling emotions and reacting in ways you do not recognise. [1]
| Symptom | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Exhaustion | Tiredness, effort, and trouble recovering energy. |
| Mental distance | Lack of enthusiasm, indifference, and cynicism about the job. |
| Cognitive impairment | Trouble focusing, thinking clearly, and remembering. |
| Emotional impairment | Trouble controlling emotions, and unexpected reactions. |
What are the secondary symptoms?
Two further scales, psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints, are always added together and read as secondary distress symptoms. [1] In the development paper, the factor analysis merged them into one scale. [2] The authors recommend a separate measure for depressed mood, which is not part of the BAT. [2]
Why does it matter for work stress?
It looks at burnout beyond tiredness. Problems with thinking and emotions are among the things many people notice first, and they are easy to miss in a questionnaire that only asks about exhaustion. The WHO describes burn-out as exhaustion, mental distance from the job or cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. [3] The BAT covers the first two and adds cognitive and emotional impairment. That comparison is ours, so do not read a BAT score as a WHO-defined condition.
What does the BAT leave out?
The manual sets out three principles. The BAT should not be used for diagnosing burnout. It taps burnout complaints, and does not measure causes or consequences. And it is not suitable for making a differential diagnosis, because it cannot tell burnout apart from depression, work engagement, workaholism, or other aspects of well-being at work. [1] Other questionnaires are needed for those.
How is it different from other burnout questionnaires?
The OLBI asks about exhaustion and disengagement. The Maslach Burnout Inventory has three dimensions including professional efficacy. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory measures exhaustion at personal, work, and client levels. The BAT is the one that adds cognitive and emotional impairment.
| Question you have | Page to read |
|---|---|
| How do thinking and emotional symptoms look beside exhaustion? | Burnout Assessment Tool (this page) |
| How drained or detached do I feel about my job? | Oldenburg Burnout Inventory |
| How do exhaustion, cynicism, and efficacy compare? | Maslach Burnout Inventory |
| Is my exhaustion about my work, or life in general? | Copenhagen Burnout Inventory |
| How stressful has the last month felt overall? | PSS-10 |
Sources and further reading
These links open external research and health-information websites.
- Schaufeli, De Witte, and Desart (2020): User manual, Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), version 2.0. KU Leuven, Belgium (internal report). Copy read from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine
The versions, the dimensions and item counts, the five-point scale, how to calculate and interpret scores, the Flemish norms and cut-offs, and the three principles of use. Read on 2 November 2026. - Schaufeli, Desart, and De Witte (2020): Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT): development, validity, and reliability. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9495
The development paper: 1,500 Flemish employees, the dimensions, reliability, limitations, and the statement that no clinically validated cut-offs were yet available. Read through Europe PMC; the last 2,097 of about 202,000 characters not read. - WHO: Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon" (2019)
The ICD-11 definition, the three dimensions, and the statement that it is not classified as a medical condition.
This page is educational. A questionnaire score cannot establish a diagnosis or explain the cause of your symptoms. If you are struggling, speak with a doctor or mental health professional, whatever your score. Read when to get help for work stress or find a helpline in your country.