CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF BURNOUT

Causes and Prevention of Burnout

Introduction

A psychological condition in which an individual experiences loss of interest and exhaustion for a longer span of time is referred to as burnout, the psychological term of burnout was coined by Herbert Freudenberg in 1974 in his book “Staff burnout”. The best way to measure burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Through a three dimensional model of inefficacy, exhaustion and cynicism, this method can measure the effects of failure (in terms of personal achievements) and emotional exhaustion. Some researchers argue that only exhaustion should be used as the prime measure of burnout as in most of the cases it was the leading symptom. Negative outcomes ranging from job functional to mental health issues are associated with many theories of burnout. These outcomes include poor performance and reduced output (job function related), circulatory issues and coronary heart diseases, increase in stress hormone etc (health related) and increased depression etc (mental health related). There are several phases of burnout, and an individual develops a complete burnout syndrome after passing through all the phases (Potter, 2005).

Discussion

Since burnout is not a recognized psychological disorder, some features can be used to determine the onset of the disorder such as, increased depression, mood disorders or anxiety disorder. However, according to an estimate 25-60% percent of physicians is faced by practitioners. In terms of severity, breakout is lesser than other a biologically stimulated chemical imbalance, and of a temporary duration which is caused by situational stress boosters.

Causes of Burnout

There are numerous causes of stress, but for the sake of brevity, a few are as under:

Organizational Factors: Lack of recognition.

Individual factors: Imbalance between personal and work life.

Cultural Factors: Cultural factors may be faced by expatriates in terms of a cultural shock.

Supervisory and Social Support: Employee alienation and lack of social ...