The effects of a rational emotive behavior therapy intervention on irrational beliefs and burnout among middle school teachers in the state of Iowa

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) bibliotherapy intervention on the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. This study specifically examined the impact of a REBT bibliotherapy intervention on middle school teachers\u27 irrational beliefs and level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (Maslach, Jackson, \u26 Schwab, 1986) and the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones, 1968). The subjects in this study consisted of 167 middle school teachers in the State of Iowa. These teachers taught sixth, seventh, or eighth grade or a combination of these grades. Data were gathered in the spring of 1999 and the winter of 1999. A pretest-posttest control group experimental design investigated differences between the control and experimental group on the dependent variables pre-post change scores in irrational beliefs, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The participants in the experimental group were given information about the study that explained the principal tenets of REBT bibliotherapy intervention and how their beliefs could affect their feelings of energy, attitude toward others, and perceptions of accomplishments and achievements. They also received a REBT bibliotherapy intervention, a modified form of Beliefs that Disturb (Woods, 1990), which contained an individual analysis of their irrational beliefs scores. In addition, they received a written explanation of the concepts of feelings of energy, attitude toward others, and perceptions of accomplishments and achievements, as well as an individual analysis of their burnout scores. The control group was given modified information about the study that explained the concepts of feelings of energy, attitude toward others, and perceptions of accomplishments and achievements. They also received an individual analysis of their burnout scores. The results of the study did not show a statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups on any of the four research hypotheses. The results of the study suggested that further investigation of the correlates of irrational beliefs and burnout is warranted