Burnout Becomes An Officially Diagnosable Condition – Three Main Symptoms
We’ve all heard about burnout, especially in work environments. When people are feeling too stressed and tired, they toss the word around, and Forbes cites data from Gallup to note that about 23% of employees have reported feeling burnout at work very often. 44% of employees said that they are feeling burnout “sometimes.”
The WHO has analyzed the burnout issue and took some important steps in order to add it to its International Classification of Diseases.
Three major symptoms of burnout
Here’s how the WHO is defining burnout:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) 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.”
According to Forbes, the WHO is the very first health organization that legitimized burnout but the online publication writes that it will definitely not be the last one.
They write that the American Psychiatric Association still has to add burnout to the DSM-5 (it’s official manual).
The Association has already started to asses the topic more seriously via its working group in wellbeing and burnout.
Costs of burnout and tackling the issue
Forbes also addresses the costs of burnout and they report that it costs between $125 billion and $190 billion on a yearly basis in healthcare costs.
The first step towards overcoming this issue is reportedly measuring where you are starting from.
According to Forbes, “A simple survey tool with the right questions will give you a benchmark to work from, and The National Academy of Medicine offers access to different validated instruments to help you construct your assessment.”
I have been blogging and posting articles for over eight years, but my passion for writing dates back in 2000. I am especially enthusiastic about technology, science, and health-related issues. When I’m not researching and writing the latest news, I’m either watching sci-fi and horror movies or checking out places worth visiting and building deep memories for later in life. I believe in empathy and continually improving myself.
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