Burnout Syndrome

Burnout syndrome is a condition resulting from the depletion of an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional resources due to prolonged stress, work pressure, and emotional burden. This phenomenon is particularly evident in professions that involve direct human contact, such as healthcare, education, and social services. Increasing workloads, technological pressures, and rising emotional demands have led to a more frequent observation of this issue in contemporary times.

History of Burnout Syndrome

The concept of burnout was first defined in 1974 by German-American psychiatrist Herbert J. Freudenberger. Freudenberger used the term “burnout” to describe symptoms such as fatigue, loss of motivation, physical exhaustion, and indifference toward work that he observed among healthcare workers and volunteers at a clinic in New York where he volunteered. This work marked the foundational moment for the scientific understanding of burnout.

Following Freudenberger, in the 1980s, Christina Maslach and her colleagues systematically studied this phenomenon and defined burnout not merely as an individual collapse but also as a consequence of organizational processes. Maslach and Jackson conceptualized burnout in three dimensions:

1. Emotional exhaustion: Depletion of energy and loss of internal resources,
2. Depersonalization: Development of negative, cold, and cynical attitudes toward the people one serves,
3. Reduced personal accomplishment: Feelings of inefficacy and loss of professional meaning.

This tripartite structure forms the basis of the most widely accepted Maslach Burnout Model, which is measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI remains one of the most commonly used inventories across diverse sectors including healthcare, education, social services, and security.

By the late 1980s, burnout began to be viewed not only as an individual psychological state but also as a structural outcome of working conditions. Researchers such as Cary Cherniss and Wilmar Schaufeli demonstrated that burnout is closely linked to factors such as lack of control in the workplace, role conflict, insufficient social support, and value conflicts.

Research conducted in Europe during the 1990s revealed that burnout was not limited to healthcare workers but was also widespread among teachers, police officers, bank employees, and customer service personnel. Researchers such as Skovholt and Trotter-Mathison introduced new concepts such as “meaning exhaustion” and “caregiver exhaustion,” arguing that burnout should be understood not only as a psychological condition but also as an existential crisis.

From the early 21st century onward, factors such as digitalization, constant online connectivity, and performance-driven work cultures have transformed burnout from a phenomenon confined to specific professions into a widespread issue affecting a broader population. Today, burnout is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the ICD-11 as a “professional phenomenon,” though it has not yet been categorized as a clinical disease. According to WHO, burnout is “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

Although the concept of burnout syndrome has a history of approximately half a century, its scope and impact have continuously expanded due to technological advancements, societal transformations, and structural changes in work life, making it a multidimensional phenomenon. Today, burnout is no longer viewed as an individual weakness but as a “occupational illness” arising at the intersection of work systems, social structures, and mental health.

Causes of Burnout

Individual Factors

Burnout is closely related to an individual’s personality traits, coping skills, lifestyle, and level of social support. Qualities such as perfectionism, self-sacrifice, and a strong sense of responsibility can make individuals more vulnerable to burnout.

Occupational Factors

High workloads, time pressure, low pay, role conflict, ambiguous job responsibilities, and lack of organizational support are among the primary occupational causes of burnout. Individuals working in sectors with intense human interaction are at particularly higher risk.

Organizational and Societal Factors

Authoritarian management structures, lack of participation in decision-making processes, poor communication, job insecurity, and unclear career prospects also contribute to burnout. Societal norms emphasizing speed and performance further fuel this process.

Symptoms

Physical Symptoms

Chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, weight changes, frequent infections, and weakened immune function are common indicators of physical burnout.

Psychological Symptoms

Depression, anxiety, irritability, feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation are frequently observed psychological symptoms.

Behavioral Symptoms

Observable behavioral symptoms include tardiness, absenteeism, decline in job performance, procrastination, disengagement from the environment, social isolation, and increased substance use.

Organizational Symptoms

Increased turnover rates, decline in service quality, conflicts among employees, loss of productivity, and reduced organizational commitment are manifestations of burnout at the institutional level.

Solutions

Individual Intervention

Individuals should develop stress management skills, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, strengthen their social support networks, and seek professional help when necessary.

Organizational Intervention

Workloads should be balanced, employees should be granted participation rights in decision-making processes, performance evaluation systems should be designed fairly, and a supportive work environment should be cultivated.

System-Level Intervention

National policies must ensure workers’ rights, enhance job security and opportunities for professional development, and expand access to psychosocial support mechanisms.