Burnout is now a common concept, that everyone know and use. In France, according to Zawieja ( 2015 ), between 5 and 10% of people at work are affected by burnout. Moreover, it depends on the job considered, 50% of the healthcare professionals being concerned. We can first look at the burnout on a clinical level, and then characterize it with a psychosocial perspective, looking at theoretical models.
What are the symptoms of a burnout ? If someone is too much involved in their job, and never takes a break, it can lead to exhaustion. Then people start to disengage themselves towards work, or others in general. And this leads to psychological distress and anxiety, or depression indeed. We can even observe psychosomatics consequences. There are many signs of a burnout, but we do not always observe all of them within a single person.
The burnout can be defined by a permanent, negative state of mind associated to work. It starts with exhaustion, anxiety and distress; along with demotivation, and dysfunctional behaviors at work. It can be the consequence of an inadequacy between professional intentions, and professional reality ( Schaufeli and Enzmann, 1998 ).
The job demands/resources model ( Demerouti, Bakker and Schaufeli, 2001 ) is quite interesting to consider when discussing burnout. We should consider two factors in a work situation : demands and resources. The worker has resources : psychological, social or organizational elements at work, that allow the person to reach their work goals, and reduce work demands and psychological costs associated. For example these elements can be coworkers’s support, participation in decision-making, or job security. At work there is also demands : psychological, social or organizational elements at work, that have a psychological or a physical cost. It means it requires from the person sustained psychological or physical capacities. When the demands are high, and the person’s resources limited, it can lead to burnout. High job demands are more related to exhaustion, depression or anxiety; whereas a lack of job resources leads to disengagement.
Other points may explain burnout, according to Zawieja ( 2015 ). Workload, obviously, does impact the worker; as well as working conditions. For example, working in an open space or working at night or with noise around, can be factors of burnout. There is also roles conflicts : it can be difficult for the worker to deal with different roles such as being a parent, a hierarchic superior, a subordinate… At last, we can mention control. In Karasek’s job control-demand model, control is a major factor of well-being for the worker. It refers as the control that has the worker to choose their methods or their priorities at work. A lack of control can also be a factor of burnout.
Sources :
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499‑512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
Schaufeli, W., & Enzmann, D. (1998). The Burnout Companion To Study And Practice : A Critical Analysis. CRC Press.
Zawieja, P. (2019). Burn out. Érès. https://www.cairn.info/load_pdf.php?ID_ARTICLE=ERES_VANDE_2019_01_0092&download=1