Burnout syndrome: causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The term "emotional burnout" has not yet firmly entered the everyday lexicon, but all working people have encountered it. Job stress brings a lot of losses every year due to employee mental he alth issues. What is the danger of the syndrome? How to identify and overcome it? Answers to these and other questions can be obtained by reading this article.

Meaning of term

The definition of burnout syndrome (BS) sounds like this: it is a protective mechanism of psychological protection against stress that occurs in the workplace. It arises due to a long stay of a person in a tense environment, as a result of which he loses the bulk of his emotional and physical energy. The syndrome of emotional burnout is most often manifested in teachers, business leaders, and social workers. The main reasons for this phenomenon are considered routine, busy schedule, low wages, the desire for superiority,as well as other similar factors. The syndrome of emotional burnout is also manifested in medical workers. This is due to the increased responsibility for the he alth and life of patients. It is imperative to correct the burnout syndrome in order to avoid possible problems with mental and physical he alth.

History of occurrence

The term burnout syndrome appeared in the early 70s. Scientists have found that a few years after the start of work experience, workers begin to experience a state close to stress. Work ceased to please, endurance decreased, there was a feeling of irritation and helplessness. But when dealing with the symptoms, psychotherapy methods did not bring the desired result.

In 1974 in the USA, psychiatrist Freidenberg published his first work on this topic, which he called in Russian translation "Emotional burnout" or "Professional burnout".

Social psychologist K. Maslach in 1976 defined burnout as a loss of empathy and understanding of clients or patients on the part of the employee, as well as emotional and physical exhaustion, low self-esteem and a negative attitude towards their professional duties.

Initially, the syndrome was characterized by exhaustion and a feeling of uselessness of a person, but gradually the symptoms expanded. Researchers over time began to attribute burnout to a psychosomatic manifestation, which means an approaching illness. Now the syndrome is referred to as stress caused by difficulties in maintaining a normal lifestyle.

Signs of occurrence

Burnout is often confused with stress, although they are different phenomena. Modern medicine identifies about 100 signs of this condition. The course of the syndrome consists of three types of symptoms: physical, psychological and behavioral. The first signs appear in the patient in the form:

• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Insomnia.
• Gastrointestinal disorders.
• Sore throat.
• Physical weakness.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psychological and behavioral symptoms appear as:

• Apathy and boredom.
• Suspicions.
• Self-doubt.
• Loss of interest in profession.
• Guilt.
• Distance from the team and family.
• Feelings of loneliness.
• Increased irritability.

Basically, before the manifestation of professional burnout syndrome, a person has increased activity. The worker is completely absorbed in work, while forgetting about his own physical and emotional needs. As a result of such a rhythm of life, exhaustion occurs. A person cannot regain strength even after a good rest. After that, he is removed from work and develops indifference to her. Along with this, his self-esteem falls and faith in his own strength disappears, he ceases to receive satisfaction from work.

What is the difference between burnout andstress?

Signs of the syndrome become apparent already in the last stages. Initially, a person experiences stress, which, with prolonged exposure, provokes emotional burnout. Distinctive features are the following signs:

• Emotional displays. During stress, they are expressed very violently, and during burnout, on the contrary, they are absent.
• Feelings and sensations. Stress causes increased activity in a person, and burnout syndrome causes helplessness and hopelessness.
• Psychic manifestations. During stress, the employee feels anxiety, and during the syndrome, depression and alienation.
• Thought processes. When stressed, a person lacks energy resources, and during a syndrome, motivation.
• Loss of energy. During stress, the employee feels a lack of physical strength, and during emotional burnout - emotional.

Thanks to the knowledge of the distinctive characteristics, employee burnout can be detected in time. Thus, to prevent irreversible processes in human he alth.

Stages

In addition to general symptoms, it is important to know the extent to which burnout syndrome manifests itself. The test, as a rule, is used already in the last stages, when a person turned to a specialist. But it develops gradually. Greenberg gives 5 steps in the development of the syndrome:

1. "Honeymoon" - a man passionate about his work. But constant stress leads to the fact that he receives less satisfaction fromprocess, and the employee begins to lose interest in her.
2. "Not enough fuel" - there is a feeling of fatigue, apathy, problems with sleep. If there is no additional motivation, then the employee loses interest in the labor process, while the productivity of his labor decreases. A person in this stage may break discipline and be removed from his duties. If the motivation is very high, then he continues to work hard to the detriment of his he alth.
3. "Chronic symptoms" - increased labor activity can lead to various diseases and psychological distress. A workaholic may develop irritability, depression, feelings of being cornered and running out of time.
4. "Crisis" - under the influence of chronic diseases, an employee may partially or completely lose his ability to work. Emotional experiences intensify against this background, and a feeling of dissatisfaction with the quality of life appears.
5. "Punching through the wall" - psychological and physical problems turn into an acute form and can cause the development of dangerous diseases. His career and life are in danger.

In the first stages of the syndrome, it is more often possible to save a job and position, unlike the last two. It is important to identify the EBS in a person in time to avoid the development of serious diseases.

Causes of burnout syndrome

Each person is individual and perceives events in his own way. Under the same conditions, one person may experience a burnout syndrome, while another- No. Personal reasons include the following character traits:

• Humanism.
• Pessimism.
• Increased susceptibility.
• Suspicion.
• Introversion.
• The ability to sacrifice.
• Persistence.
• Increased responsibility.
• The desire to control everything.
• Dreamy.
• Idealization.
• Increased performance expectations.

The situational factors of the burnout syndrome that can provoke its occurrence are also distinguished. These include:

• Work under close supervision.
• Unhe althy competition.
• A very responsible job.
• Conflicts with superiors or colleagues.
• Primitive and monotonous work.
• Poorly organized work.
• Overtime.
• No break.
• Heavy team atmosphere.
• Lack of support from family and friends.
• Increased physical and emotional stress.

Most often burnout is experienced by young professionals whose activities are related to people. At the dawn of their careers, they are completely immersed in their work and bear increased responsibility for it.

Which occupations are at risk?

Most often, people who work in the "person-to-person" system are exposed to the syndrome. These include the following speci alties:

• Medicalworkers - the burnout syndrome manifests itself in them due to the constant sense of responsibility for the life and he alth of patients. They are often in the role of a "vest" and, in case of an unfavorable outcome of treatment, become a kind of "target" for the patient or his relatives.
• Teachers - emotional burnout manifests itself due to psychological pressure from students, their parents, bosses and colleagues. They often find themselves in tense and poorly organized work environments. Emotional burnout of teachers is exacerbated by low salaries.
• Psychologists - the syndrome occurs due to the constant stay in psycho-emotional stress from the problems of their patients.

Also subject to SEB are employees of law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Emergencies, social services and other professions who are daily in difficult conditions, while interacting with other people.

Is the syndrome harmful to he alth?

Burnout syndrome helps a person cope with excessive stress. Thus, protection is triggered, which turns off emotions in response to various factors that can injure the psyche. There is no need to be ashamed of this syndrome, since it manifests itself only in a he althy organism. This state helps a person to save energy. If the protective function does not work, then irreversible changes in the psyche and human he alth may occur.

What could be the consequences of the syndrome?

If notbegin treatment for emotional burnout, then in the first three years a person may experience heart attacks, psychoses and other physical and psychological disorders. If measures are not taken, then chronic diseases will form in the future, such as depression, problems with the immune system and internal organs. New diseases give rise to new stress, which only aggravates the human condition.

Diagnosis

A psychologist can use special techniques to identify the presence and determine the severity of the phenomenon. Emotional burnout is diagnosed using various questionnaires:

• "Definition of psychological burnout" A. A. Rukavishnikov. The technique is often used by psychologists.
• "Diagnostics of emotional burnout" - the method of Boyko V. V. The questionnaire helps to identify the level of development of the syndrome.
• "Professional burnout" K. Maslach and S. Jackson. The technique helps to identify the presence of the syndrome.

These methods can also be used as self-diagnosis, for example, the method of emotional burnout by V. V. Boyko, if there are some of the symptoms of the syndrome.

Treatment by a psychotherapist

With persistent changes in a person's psychological perception of work activity, you need to seek the help of a specialist. The psychotherapist will first conduct a diagnosis in order to confirm the diagnosis, as well as to determine the degree of its progression. Then he will take a number of steps. The treatment of burnout syndrome consists in the use of suchsets:

• Psychotherapy - it includes teaching the patient relaxation techniques, increasing emotional intelligence, conducting various trainings to form communication skills, increase self-confidence.
• Drug therapy - antidepressants, sleeping pills, nootropics and other drugs are prescribed to relieve symptoms. Prescribed for severe burnout syndrome.

Psychology in this case recommends using the technique of active listening. The patient should be given the opportunity to talk about the emotions he is experiencing. He can do this in individual consultation or in meetings with colleagues. After discussing the events, a person can throw out his emotions and experiences. In this way, he will learn to resolve conflicts and build productive working relationships with colleagues.

If this method does not bring results, then you need to think about changing jobs or areas of activity. It is advisable to change it to a non-human area.

Self-wrestling

You can deal with burnout at an early stage on your own. If a person begins to feel several of the symptoms, then it is necessary to begin the fight against the syndrome. To do this, use the following tips:

• Take care of yourself. Wasted energy must be replenished. For this purpose, you need to go to bed on time, eat right and provide yourself with moderate physical activity. During the week, you need to find time for classes,that bring satisfaction and positive emotions.
• Change your perspective. You need to reconsider your professional responsibilities, perhaps there is an option to take up a more interesting activity or distribute the load on employees. It is important to identify ways to change the problem situation. In this case, you need to work on yourself.
• Limit the negative impact of stressors. It is necessary to adjust the relationship and affairs at work. It is important to convey to the team and superiors that it is necessary to increase efficiency for long-term cooperation.
• Building social connections. It is necessary to interact with the team, you can find mentors or help others yourself. The main thing is to break out of the vicious circle of duties. Mutual support will help you cope with difficult situations at work together and make new comrades.

These recommendations will help to cope with the syndrome in the initial stages. If the employee has persistent changes in the psyche and he alth, then you need to use the help of a qualified psychologist.

Prevention of burnout syndrome

In addition to working on oneself under the supervision of a psychologist, it is necessary to regulate interpersonal relations with the team and review working conditions. Most often, patients change jobs, but if this is not possible, then you can use the following tips:

• Division of labor goals into short-term and long-term. First helpincrease motivation and quickly show results.
• Take small breaks in work. This will help restore strength.
• Have a positive dialogue with yourself, learn to relax.
• Stay he althy with a balanced diet and exercise.
• Regularly change the type of activity, not stopping at one thing.
• Take a day off once a week when you can do whatever you want.
• Avoid perfectionism.
• Don't take part in unhe althy competition at work.

These recommendations will help improve the patient's condition. Tips can also be used as further prevention of burnout syndrome, after a person has fully recovered.

Prevention of burnout in a team

Because the syndrome often occurs due to unfavorable working conditions, it can manifest itself in several employees at once. As a result, the performance of the team as a whole can drop significantly. Leaders should take advantage of the following tips:

• Pay attention to the "bells". Employees should be supervised. An alarming sign will be the manifestation in the behavior of workers of helplessness, malice, absent-mindedness. We need to control their emotional and physical state.
• Moderate loads. Employees should not be allowed to perform at their best. It is important to determine the optimal level of employment.
• Compulsory rest. The work schedule should be normalized, with mandatoryweekends and holidays.
• Optimization of work. Employees need to know what result they want to get. It is important to provide them with all the necessary resources and create comfortable working conditions for them.
• Appreciation for work. Praise, certificates, awards are a strong motivation. The boss should notice even minor achievements of the employee, emphasize his investment in the common cause.
• Professional development. Training and further career growth will help a person develop at work. In this way, it will be possible to avoid the daily routine, which is one of the factors of emotional burnout.
• Team building. Unhe althy competition should not be allowed in the workplace. It is important that respect and mutual assistance become the norm. You can use various trainings to help with this.

Preventive measures will not only avoid burnout, but also increase productivity and create a favorable atmosphere in the workplace.

So, emotional burnout can be harmful to mental and physical he alth if not treated in time. The syndrome serves as a protective mechanism for the human psyche. It can be detected using special techniques. In the initial stage of the syndrome, self-treatment is possible, but in the latter one cannot do without the help of a psychologist. It is important to prevent burnout, especially for employees in the "person-to-person" system.