Publications and Research
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 9-2024
Abstract
Burnout has become a focal point of concern in the contemporary workplace. The syndrome has elicited undiminished interest among occupational health specialists. The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome "resulting from chronic workplace stress." Burnout is said to comprise three components: (i) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; (ii) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism toward one’s job; and (iii) a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. This definition mirrors the conceptualization of burnout embodied in the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the ‘gold standard’ for the assessment of burnout. However, controversies plague the concept. They concern (a) its job-relatedness, (b) the idea that burnout is a pandemic, (c) the belief that it is a non-depressive disorder, (d) it carries minimal stigma, and (e) the robustness of its definition. After half a century of research, burnout needs to be re-evaluated.
Comments
Bianchi, R., & Schonfeld, I. S. (2024). Burnout: Half a century of controversy. Occupational Medicine, 74(6), 400-402. htps://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqae052