Oldenburg Burnout Inventory – OLBI
A self-report instrument designed to assess the two core dimensions of burnout: exhaustion and disengagement from work.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory – OLBI was developed by Evangelia Demerouti (1998). It is designed to measure Burnout. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Disengagement, Exhaustion.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Disengagement | 1,3,6,7,9,11,13,15 | 8 |
| Exhaustion | 2,4,5,8,10,12,14,16 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 16 to 64. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Burnout: 16 – 32
- Moderate Burnout: 33 – 48
- High Burnout: 49 – 64
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.