Overview
Burnout in its most casual sense means running out of the energy or capacity to keep up some level of activity.
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) states
““Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- 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.
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”” [^0]
This narrowly interprets burnout, at least in a clinical context, to a work-related state of mind. It’s not considered a medical condition in itself, but it is still explicitly signaled as something that has to be addressed from the intersection between public health and psychology. This isn’t necessarily dismissive as much as a precaution to ensure that symptoms described under the umbrella of burnout aren’t indicative of another health condition. From the Center of Disease Control:
“Take for instance the idea that both depression and burnout can leave someone too tired to do their work. These are similar symptoms that could come up in both measures, even if they have some differences.”
“It is not always clear how burnout differs from depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Burnout is typically caused by chronic demand overload at work, while mental health conditions can have a variety of underlying causes.”
The CDC goes on to identify “similar yet different strain conditions to distinguish from burnout” that include fatigue, boredom, loneliness, engagement, moral distress, moral injury, and compassion fatigue. [^1]
History and Etymology
The term “burnout” in the context of psychology was coined by Herbert Freudenberger in 1974 while identifying fatigue that persisted beyond normal exhaustion and systemically occurred in organizations.
Links
[^0] Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases