55 - Burnout Is Now Officially A Medically

Burnout is now officially a medically-
recognized syndrome
Medical science finally acknowledges what workers have known for years.

New York, NY – The World Health Organization has finally declared burnout a real
syndrome with medical consequences. The condition, discussed in medical literature since
the '70s, is well known and has affected millions. Treating burnout isn't so simple, and
requires organizational changes.
Everybody has heard of burnout. Given how high workplace stress levels have risen over
the past few years, it would be more shocking to come across somebody who hasn’t. The
notion is ingrained into our cultural consciousness and may define a generation.
Despite all of this, it was only this month that the WHO officially recognized occupational
burnout as a syndrome that could drive people to seek medical care.
In a press release, the WHO explained that “burn-out” will be included in the 11th Revision
of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), a guide for diagnosing diseases. It
will be included in a chapter focusing on “Factors influencing health status or contact with
health services.” They are careful to note that it is not being included as a medical condition
by itself, but rather as a reason people seek out mental health care. The WHO offered a direct
quote from the ICD:
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, or
3) Reduced professional efficacy
They further explained that these symptoms must be specifically work-related. Feeling
burned out from anything else doesn’t count. This definition is a refinement of the previous
definition used in the 10th edition of the ICD that better identifies the phenomenon while
still asserting it is not a medical condition in and of itself.

WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO IDENTIFY THIS CONDITION?
There are a couple of probable reasons for this delay.

First, the idea of burnout isn’t that old. The first medical report on the topic dates back
to 1974 when psychologist Herbert Freudenberger used the term to describe symptoms of
“physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.” A slightly older use of the term
to describe similar symptoms appeared in a book in 1961. Despite this evidence that the
idea had been floating around for a while, it took until 1981 for a test to be created that could
determine if somebody was suffering from burnout.
While 50 years might seem like plenty of time for medical science to agree on if something
exists or not, remember that medical science often moves slowly in the hopes of being
accurate.
It also doesn’t help that many of the symptoms of burnout overlap with the symptoms
of depression. This has made the term “burnout” controversial over the years, as many
researchers have argued it is merely a subset of depression rather than a separate condition.
These lingering concerns may explain the very narrow definition used above.
Treating burnout is difficult but not impossible. The three symptoms listed above are funny
in those things that improve one often have little affect on the others. Interventions such as
CBT- therapy have shown some promise in helping treat the condition, but it isn’t a silver
bullet. Another method that tested well was giving burned out workers more control over
their job.
The better option is preventing it rather than treating it. The individual can only do so much
in the way of prevention, but effective measures include eating well, sleeping enough,
keeping stress at a manageable level, setting proper boundaries, and having relaxing rituals.
Knowing how much you can and can’t handle almost goes without saying.
However, in the book The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress
and What to do About it psychologists Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter argue that
the best any individual can do is manage the symptoms and that it takes organizational
changes to properly treat the condition.
Curative measures can include better expression of company values, a stronger sense of
community, and providing support for workers so they don’t feel overwhelmed by their
workload. Measures like these can pay for themselves by preventing drops in productivity.
Other thinkers, such as sociologist Eric Blanc, argue that burnout is best prevented by
system change. In his VICE interview and book Red State Revolt: The Teachers’ Strike
Wave and Working-Class Politics, Blanc suggests increasing unionization rates and cutting
working hours as a route to improving the working conditions that make burnout a common
occurrence.

His ideas are well grounded in reality, a recent experiment in Sweden showed just how
dramatically a shorter workday improved the lives of workers and the data on how unions
improve the conditions of working people is vast.
He also remarks on how our definition of burnout as an ailment might not be entirely sound
in all cases, saying: “I think it’s pretty rational to be burnt out at a job like Target, and it’s a
pretty rational response to not want to work as hard as your bosses might want you to all
day long.”
Similar notions were expressed by Buzzfeed’s Anne Petersen, who wrote that “We are
beginning to understand what ails us, and it’s not something an oxygen facial or a treadmill
desk can fix…. Change might come from legislation, or collective action, or continued
feminist advocacy, but it’s folly to imagine it will come from companies themselves.”
Burnout, well known as a real condition by millions of overworked Americans for decades
now, has been recognized by the medical community as a legitimate reason for seeking
help. This may open the doors to better treatment for those who suffer from the condition
over the next few years.
While fixing the problem of too much workplace stress and an inability balance work and
home life will take more than just a definition in a medical text, it may prove to be the first
step on the way to a more relaxed world.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW BASED ON THE TEXT ABOVE:
1) Right in the beginning of the text the author hints out a factor that causes
burnout. What is it?
-
2) Why does the author say: “It would be more shocking to come across
somebody who hasn’t”?
-
3) What is the definition of burnout?
-
4) What are the three dimensions that characterize it?
5) Why must these symptoms be work related?

-

6) Why did the WHO take so long to identify this condition?
-
7) Since when has the burnout concept been around?

-
8) When did they create a test that could determine if somebody was
suffering from burnout?
9) According to the text why does medical science move so slow?
10) What makes it difficult to diagnosis burnout?
11) How is burnout treated?
12) What are the things one can do to prevent burnout?
13) According to psychologists Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter what

companies can do to protect their workers from burnout?
14) What is Sociologist Eric Blanc view on burnout? How does he think
burnout can be prevented?
15) Why is an experiment in Sweden mentioned in the text?
16) How may this action from the WHO regarding burnout benefit those
who suffer from it?

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Burnout is now officially a medically-

1) Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion,

There are a couple of probable reasons for this delay.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW BASED ON THE TEXT ABOVE:

5) Why must these symptoms be work related?

7) Since when has the burnout concept been around?

9) According to the text why does medical science move so slow?

10) What makes it difficult to diagnosis burnout?

11) How is burnout treated?

12) What are the things one can do to prevent burnout?

13) According to psychologists Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter what

15) Why is an experiment in Sweden mentioned in the text?

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