Burnout: signs, health effects and what helps
Stress
Key points
- WHO (ICD-11): burnout is an occupational phenomenon, not a medical diagnosis.
- Three signs: exhaustion, cynicism or detachment, reduced effectiveness.
- Burnout is linked to coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, depression and pain.
- The causes lie mainly in work conditions: workload, control, reward, fairness, values and community.
What burnout is
In ICD-11, the WHO describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It has three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Burnout is not classified as a medical condition.
Where it comes from
Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter describe six areas of work life that drive burnout: workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). That means burnout is not just an individual problem.
Health effects
A systematic review of prospective studies linked burnout to physical consequences, including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, musculoskeletal pain and prolonged fatigue, as well as insomnia, depressive symptoms and use of psychotropic medications (Salvagioni et al., 2017).
What helps
For individuals
- Protect sleep, movement and time off.
- Set boundaries: working hours, notifications.
- Practice mindfulness or other stress-reduction methods (Goyal et al., 2014).
- Talk to your manager about workload and priorities.
For organizations
- Reasonable workloads and staffing.
- More control and flexibility.
- Recognition, fairness and supportive teams.
Caveat
Much of the evidence is observational, and definitions of burnout vary between studies.
Frequently asked questions
Is burnout the same as depression?
No, but they overlap. Burnout is tied to work; depression affects all areas of life. A doctor can help tell them apart.
Can I recover from burnout without quitting my job?
Often, yes, especially if workload and control can be adjusted. Sometimes a change of role or employer is needed.
Sources
- Maslach et al. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry 15(2):103-111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311
- Salvagioni et al. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS ONE 12(10):e0185781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
- Goyal et al. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being. JAMA Internal Medicine 174(3):357. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
- World Health Organization. Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. www.who.int
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