Burnout
At some point during our lives, we have experienced stress at work. Whether it be a heavy workload, unclear expectations, or team dysfunction these things can make our work environment less enjoyable and have serious mental health effects. Stress is understood as having too much or being overactive. But what happens when the overactivity caused by stress progresses into all-encompassing exhaustion?
Burnout was coined as a term by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s. Then, burnout was considered a phenomenon that mainly plagued those in ‘helper occupations’ like doctors, nurses, etc. Today, we recognize that burnout is something that affects people of all ages, genders, and occupations. The concept of ‘burnout’ is still widely debated in the medical community; however, in 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) included a complete definition for burnout in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Despite its inclusion, burnout is not considered a medical condition but rather an occupational phenomenon. As defined by the ICD-11:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
reduced professional efficacy.
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”
Although it has now been included in medical documentation there is limited research data behind the phenomena. Employers, employees, and medical professionals alike recognize that burnout is real but since its origin can be difficult to pinpoint little is known about what to recommend as a remedy or solution. Burnout is not stress but stress can lead to burnout. Burnout spawns from a difficult work environment but non-work-related factors may also be an influence. The question then becomes how do we differentiate between ‘regular’ stress and chronic work-related stress that can result in burnout? As of today, the most valid and reliable way of measuring burnout is with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS). Most of the questionnaire’s benchmark data include those in human service occupations but the questionnaire can also be used on the public. The MBI-GS uses 3 scales to measure burnout. They include:
- Exhaustion measures feelings of being overextended and exhausted by one’s work.
- Cynicism measures an indifference or a distant attitude towards your work.
- Professional Efficacy measures satisfaction with past and present accomplishments, and it explicitly assesses an individual’s expectations of continued effectiveness at work.
The MBI-GS tests whether or not an individual is suffering from burnout. Using the survey with the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) as a Toolkit can help to assess both the extent and likely cause of burnout.
At this point, no one knows the remedy for burnout. Classified as an occupational phenomenon that can be further exacerbated by outside factors, there is an argument about if the employer or the employee should be responsible for finding that solution. Self-care is important and in the days since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, self-care has been pushed more than ever. Nonetheless, there is no amount of self-care that will change or improve a dysfunctional work environment; and while corporate happy hours and luncheons can be fun, they can also feel like one more thing on our docket to do.
So far, two of the most popular suggestions for avoiding burnout fall on the shoulders of both employers and employees. Employers should intentionally create work environments that facilitate and encourage employee feedback. Employees should be aware of their physical and mental health but also speak up when either is affected by their work responsibilities. When consistent group communication is embraced, it is more likely that effective changes can be made.
Outside of burnout, if you feel like you need help, please speak to someone who you trust. You are not in this alone.
