Autonomic Reactivity as a Marker of Self-Regulation in relation to Burnout in a sample of Italian Workers

Introduction Work-related stress disorders represent a major challenge in contemporary occupational settings, with significant implications for psychological and physical well-being, health, and work functioning. From a psychophysiological perspective, prolonged exposure to work-related stress, may lead to a compromise of autonomic regulation following stress exposure. Vagal reactivity, as the physiological change, can occur in the baseline and stress exposure condition during the psychophysiological registration and could be a very important marker of self-regulation in response to emotional distress in the workplace. Methods This preliminary study investigated autonomic recovery in relation to burnout-related dimensions in a sample of Italian workers from Trancerie Emiliane Company in Parma, a metalworking company leader in Italy. Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded using eVu TPS (Thought Technology) during a standardized five-phase protocol: (1) baseline, (2) objective stress induced by a mental arithmetic task, (3) recovery, (4) subjective emotional stress elicited through an autobiographical recall task, and (5) final recovery (Recovery 2). HF reactivity (Δ Subjective Stress - baseline) was examined as an index of autonomic responsiveness following emotional salient stress. Burnout dimensions were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), focusing on Emotional Exhaustion and Job Gratification (Personal Accomplishment). Results Higher Emotional Exhaustion* was associated with higher HF reactivity (ρ = .313, p = .027, N = 50), indicating autonomic dysregulation following subjective emotional stress. Conversely, higher Job Gratification was associated with lower HF reactivity (ρ = −.392, p = .005, N = 50), suggesting more preserved autonomic functioning. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to confirm the effect of Emotional Exhaustion on HF reactivity, controlling for age and gender (β = .297 p = .042). Conclusions These findings support autonomic reactivity as a psychophysiological marker of work-related stress and self-regulation in occupational contexts. The observed pattern may reflect a freezing-like response to emotional stress, possibly involving dorsal vagal activation. Conversely, job gratification may play a protective role, supporting more adaptive autonomic responses.