Beating Burnout: Key Insights and Actions to Reduce this Psychosocial Risk in the Workplace

What is Burnout?

Burnout was first identified in 1974 by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who used it to describe the severe stress experienced by those in helping professions. Recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, burnout is classified as a clinical condition specifically resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

The WHO definition highlights three primary dimensions of burnout:

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.
3. Reduced professional efficacy.

These symptoms highlight the severe impact of burnout on an individual's capacity to perform effectively in their professional role.

Broader Definitions and Key Symptoms

While the WHO focuses on workplace burnout, experts like Professor Gordon Parker (founder of the Black Dog Institute) argue for a broader definition that includes unpaid home or care duties. The Black Dog Institute and the University of NSW identified nine symptoms commonly shared by people experiencing burnout:

• Anxiety/stress
• Depression or low mood
• Irritability and anger
• Sleep disturbances
• Lack of motivation or passion
• Lack of concentration, memory loss, or brain fog
• Withdrawal from others
• Physical symptoms such as aches, headaches, nausea
• Low libido

These factors demonstrate the multifaceted nature of burnout and its wide-reaching effects on both mental and physical health.

Causes of Burnout

Burnout can be attributed to a combination of work-related, lifestyle, and personality-related factors:

1. Work-related Causes

Longer working hours, high-risk occupations (e.g., healthcare, police, teachers), perceived lack of control, lack of reward or recognition, values mismatch with the organization, monotonous or unchallenging work, and toxic workplace cultures.

2. Lifestyle Causes

The rising cost of living is creating significant stress across the nation as the government tries to control inflation. Additionally, the impact of the global pandemic persists, such as the inability to disconnect while working from home. Lifestyle factors like a lack of social, family, or colleague support, parenting responsibilities, caretaking obligations, romantic relationship stress, and poor work-life balance further contribute to these challenges.

3. Personality Traits

Traits such as being a workaholic, perfectionist, high achiever, or introvert can make individuals more susceptible to burnout.

Stages of Burnout

Burnout has been shown to progress through five stages, each with escalating symptoms:

1. Honeymoon Phase - Characterized by job satisfaction, sustained energy levels, unbridled optimism, and high productivity.
2. Onset of Stress - Marked by inability to focus, irritability, reduced sleep quality, lower productivity, anxiety, avoidance of decision-making, and neglect of personal needs.
3. Chronic Stress - Persistent tiredness, procrastination, resentfulness, social withdrawal, aggressive behaviour, chronic exhaustion, cynical attitude, decreased sexual desire, denial of problems, feeling threatened, and increased alcohol/drug consumption.
4. Burnout - Obsession with problems, pessimistic outlook, physical symptoms, self-doubt, social isolation, chronic headaches, chronic gastrointestinal problems, neglect of personal needs, escapist activities, and behavioural changes.
5. Habitual Burnout - Chronic mental and physical fatigue, depression, and chronic changes in behaviour and outlook.

Diagnosis and Pathology

Burnout is rarely diagnosed medically due to the lack of set diagnostic criteria. Self-assessment tools like the Maslach Burnout Inventory are commonly used but self-diagnosis is not recommended due to the similarity of symptoms with other conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome or depression. Pathologically, burnout involves overproduction of cortisol, leading to various physical and mental health issues, including cardiovascular disease and even cognitive deficits.

Treatment and Prevention

There is currently no clinically recognised treatment protocol for burnout, but common approaches to prevent and recover from burnout are holistic in nature and focus on prioritising self-care, focusing on foundations of good health such as sleep, nutrition, movement, and social connection, and reducing exposure to stressors. Employers can help by recognising burnout signs and implementing supportive measures like flexible work hours, mental health resources, and fostering a supportive work environment.

Actions for Industry and Employers

The new psychosocial regulations stipulate an employer must assess the psychosocial hazards within a workplace.  This includes the hazards that can cause burnout to staff. 

Burnout, now recognized as a medical condition, significantly impacts physical and mental health, affecting personal and professional well-being. Its growing prevalence highlights the need for organizations to address it urgently.

Employers must understand burnout's effect on productivity and claims experience. By collecting and monitoring burnout-related data, they can identify trends and risk factors, enabling effective interventions.

Companies should help employees identify and reduce burnout through early intervention programs and by monitoring presenteeism and absenteeism. Creating a supportive work environment that prioritizes mental health is crucial. This includes offering work-life balance initiatives, flexible hours, mental health days, and access to counselling services. Training managers to recognize burnout signs and fostering open communication about mental health can further support a positive workplace culture.

Addressing burnout requires ongoing employer effort. Recognizing its health impacts, systematically collecting data, and implementing support programs can significantly mitigate burnout. This enhances employee well-being, boosts productivity, and reduces burnout-related claims.