The Burnout Phenomenon: A Résumé After More Than 15,000 Scientific Publications

Abstract

The “burnout” phenomenon, supposedly caused by work related stress, is a challenge for academic psychiatry both conceptually and professionally. Since the first description of burnout in 1974 until today, more than 140 definitions have been suggested. Burnout–symptomatology's main characteristic, the experience of exhaustion, is unspecific. Different development–models of burnout were proposed, assumed to depict a quasi-natural process. These could not be confirmed empirically. An expert consensus on the diagnostic criteria and the conceptual location, whether as an independent disorder or as a risk, could not be agreed on. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of burnout in the ICD-11 is considered to be categorized as a work-related disorder. Psychiatric research on the burnout–phenomenon ignores problems of definition resulting from different perspectives: It may meet societal expectations, but does not fulfill scientific criteria, and therefore is not suitable to establish an objective diagnosis and treatment. Parallel detection of ICD/DSM diagnoses from an expert perspective and subjective perturbation models are considered appropriate.

Holistic Assessment of Factors Associated with Exhaustion, the Main Symptom of Burnout: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

“…Many researchers mentioned the heterogeneity in the definition and measurement of burnout when trying to combine available studies in a meta-analysis [ 26 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. In addition to the aforementioned heterogeneity, there is the issue of whether burnout should be considered a diagnosis or not [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. The diagnosis is difficult because the burnout phenomenon is still “medically unexplained” [ 63 ], and there are still no well-established biomarkers of burnout [ 63 , 64 ].…”

Occurrence of Professional Burnout and Severity of Depressive Symptoms among Cardiac Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Professional burnout is considered to be an important problem, both individual and social, because the discomfort is felt not only by the burned-out employee but also by colleagues, service recipients, patients, mentees as well as family and friends. The process of professional burnout is a phenomenon typical for people whose occupation is to help others [47]. According to Maslach and Jackson [1] professional burnout is the body's cumulative response to a chronic stressful situation which is associated with work performed by a given person or contacts with other people.…”

Prevalence and Characteristics of Burnout among Pharmacists in Primary Care Centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain- A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Burnout syndrome, defined as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that results from exposure to stressors, is prevalent among healthcare workers and is associated with significant detrimental effects on the healthcare system (West, Dyrbye, & Shanafelt, 2018). According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout is classified as an occupational phenomenon that results from chronic unmanaged workplace stress and is marked by the depletion of energy level, increased mental distance from the job, and decreased professional efficacy (Hillert, Albrecht, & Voderholzer, 2020).…”