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The term burnout first appeared in scientific
literature in 1974.
Burnout involves physical, emotional and intellectual fatigue that generally translates into weakened stamina, emotional exhaustion and feelings of despair and helplessness, and into the appearance of a negative attitude, equally towards oneself, as towards one’s work, life and people 1.
Burnout is the exhaustion due to overwork and generally affects professionals that mostly have responsibilities related to people and that pursue objectives which are difficult to attain. Risky situations are those where there is a misfit between the tasks and the means allocated to accomplish them or also if there is ambiguity and/or role conflicts. In these situations, the person may be unsatisfied or doubt the value of their work because they compare their results with ideal circumstances or because their accomplishments do not correspond to their true professional identity, to what they would really like to do and accomplish.
Here are the primary symptoms of a burnout :
· Gradual loss of satisfaction at work: the person does not feel like going to work and becomes aware of their loss of satisfaction.
· The appearance of minor health problems: headaches, backaches, stomach aches, repeated colds, intestinal problems, loss of sleep.
· The problems affect the workplace: the person interacts inappropriately with their colleagues or reacts inappropriately to work situations. He/she becomes increasingly prone to angry outbursts and isolates himself.
· The loss of productivity and output: it is accompanied by depression and increased apathy. The final stage of this exhaustion is characterized by total apathy and the inability to gather inner resolve to respond to outer pressure and demands.
1-Pines, A.M. et Aronson, E. 1981 Burnout : From Tedium to Personal Growth, New York : Free Press.
Copyright Psycho Physio International Inc. 2003-2008