Occupational burnout
| Occupational burnout | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Burn-out, exhaustion disorder, neurasthenia |
| A person who is experiencing psychological stress | |
| Specialty | Psychology |
| Symptoms | Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment, fatigue |
| Differential diagnosis | Major depressive disorder |
The ICD-11 of the World Health Organization (WHO) describes occupational burnout as a work-related phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. According to the WHO, symptoms include "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."
Occupational burnout is classified as an occupational phenomenon but is not recognized by the WHO as a medical or psychiatric condition. Social psychologist Christina Maslach and colleagues made clear that burnout does not constitute "a single, one-dimensional phenomenon." However, national health bodies in some European countries do recognize it as such, and it is also independently recognized by some health practitioners. Nevertheless, a body of evidence suggests that what is termed burnout is a depressive condition, that is to say, indistinct from, and overlaps with, depression.