What three dimensions does the Maslach Burnout Inventory assess?

• A. Emotional exhaustion, cognitive fatigue, and physical exhaustion
• B. Depersonalization, emotional distress, and burnout risk
• C. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment
• D. Empathy, resilience, and burnout

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the Maslach Burnout Inventory measures burnout across three distinct aspects of how work affects a person. First is emotional exhaustion, which captures feeling drained, overwhelmed, and depleted of energy after work. This is often the most immediate sign that burnout is developing. Second is depersonalization, where a person responds to others—like patients or clients—with cynicism, detachment, or a strained and impersonal attitude. This protective distance is another hallmark of burnout. Third is personal accomplishment, which reflects one’s sense of effectiveness, competence, and achievement in their work. When people feel they aren’t making a difference or aren’t good at their job, their sense of personal accomplishment drops, signaling higher burnout.

In practice, burnout tends to be higher when emotional exhaustion and depersonalization are elevated and personal accomplishment is low. So the combination of drained energy, detached responses toward others, and a reduced sense of effectiveness best describes what the inventory aims to capture.

Other options mix different ideas (like cognitive or physical fatigue, or constructs such as empathy or resilience) that aren’t the three dimensions the Maslach Burnout Inventory uses.