Relationship between life satisfaction, burnout and emotional intelligence of direct care professionals for people with intellectual disabilities

Introduction. The professional context of direct action professionals to people with Intellectual Disability represents a fundamental aspect in people's lives, as they are directly or indirectly co-responsible for improving the living conditions of those who are beneficiaries of these services. Specifically, the risk of burnout of these workers affects alarmingly in the quality of the services provided by the organizations. This study analyzes the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in professional burnout processes. Method. The sample consists of 144 subjects (n=144), with an average age of 39.35 years (+/- 9.06), belonging to the Andalusian Association of Organizations in favor of People with Intellectual Disability (Full Inclusion). The following instruments are used: Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Emotional Quotient inventory (EQi-C). The Omega coefficient is used as a measure of reliability if the principle of equivalence is not met. Results. The results show the positive relationship between some of the dimensions of burnout, emotional intelligence, and life satisfaction (p<.05). The regression analysis showed the positive association between emotional intelligence (adaptability and intrapersonal) and burnout (emotional fatigue) and life satisfaction. Discussion or Conclusion. The practical consequences of this study suggest implementing Emotional Intelligence programs for the acquisition of emotional competencies, as a preventive measure of burnout in professionals of direct attention to people with Intellectual Disability within organizations.