Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement

Abstract

A growing body of empirical evidence shows that occupational health is now more relevant than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on burnout, an occupational phenomenon that results from chronic stress in the workplace. After analyzing how burnout occurs and its different dimensions, the following aspects are discussed: (1) Description of the factors that can trigger burnout and the individual factors that have been proposed to modulate it, (2) identification of the effects that burnout generates at both individual and organizational levels, (3) presentation of the main actions that can be used to prevent and/or reduce burnout, and (4) recapitulation of the main tools that have been developed so far to measure burnout, both from a generic perspective or applied to specific occupations. Furthermore, this review summarizes the main contributions of the papers that comprise the Special Issue on “Occupational Stress and Health: Psychological Burden and Burnout”, which represent an advance in the theoretical and practical understanding of burnout.

Why Employees Experience Burnout: An Explanation of Illegitimate Tasks

“…According to the JD-R model, psychological stress occurs when resources (e.g., social support, positive perceptions and emotions) become insufficient to meet (high) demands (e.g., subjective fatigue, reduced focus of attention, and redefinition of task requirements), which ultimately may lead to resource depletion and the development of burnout when resources are not timely replenished [ 2 , 39 ]. This study argues that the impact of illegitimate tasks on employee job burnout can be explained by two attrition paths: increasing work demands and decreasing work resources.…”

“…In short, illegitimate tasks increase work demands while decreasing work resources, bringing about an imbalance between demands and resources derived from work. When demands exceed resources, fatigue occurs; if this imbalance is maintained over time, fatigue becomes chronic and, finally, burnout occurs [ 2 ]. In line with the literature discussed above, we pose the following hypothesis:…”

“…The problem of job burnout is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide [ 1 ]. After COVID-19 broke out in 2019, people’s perceptions and attitudes toward work underwent some changes, and the issue of job burnout became urgent as individuals reexamined the meaning and value of work in light of health concerns [ 2 ]. Burnout is generally conceptualized as a chronic stress syndrome, including chronic feelings of exhaustion, negative attitudes toward work (cynicism), and reduced professional efficacy [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Burnout and Its Association With Competence Among Dental Interns in China

“…Burnout was first described in 1974 by Freudenberger, as a state of mental exhaustion due to a professional activity that fails to produce the expected expectations ( Edu-Valsania et al, 2022 ). Most widely accepted definition of burnout is a psychological syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and sense of reduced personal accomplishment (PA; Ahola and Hakanen, 2007 ).…”

“…DP dimension is defined as a response of detachment, indifference, and unconcern toward the work being performed and/or the people who receive it. PA dimension is reflected in a lack of personal achievement and a negative professional self-evaluation ( Edu-Valsania et al, 2022 ). Burnout is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and developing musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, and suicide ( Salvagioni et al, 2017 ).…”