Burnout

The experience of job burnout has been the focus of much research during the past few decades. Measures and theoretical models have been developed, and research studies from many countries have contributed to a better understanding of its causes and consequences. Based on this evidence, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized job burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019, defining burnout as a syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and diminished efficacy in response to stress that had not been sufficiently managed. Although the experience of job burnout can lead to health outcomes, it is not considered to be a medical condition. Rather, the experience reflects some major mismatches between the job and the person, and this has important implications for interventions.