Understanding the term burnout in psychiatry and psychotherapy

• Published in: Nervenarzt Vol. 84; no. 7; p. 838
• Main Authors: Hamann, J, Parchmann, A, Mendel, R, Bühner, M, Reichhart, T, Kissling, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Burnout, Professional - classification; Burnout, Professional - diagnosis; Burnout, Professional - psychology; Female; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - classification; Occupational Diseases - diagnosis; Occupational Diseases - psychology; Psychiatry - statistics & numerical data; Terminology as Topic; Workplace - statistics & numerical data; Germany
• ISSN: 1433-0407
• DOI: 10.1007/s00115-013-3804-x

Currently there is much debate about the concept of burnout and its use as a diagnostic entity. The aim of the present survey was to present the view of mental health professionals towards the concept of burnout. A total of 300 mental health professionals were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The majority of participants see burnout as a state of exhaustion which constitutes a risk factor for later developing a mental disorder. Participants reported that from their point of view typical triggers for burnout exist while symptoms overlap to a great extent with depression. Psychotherapy as well as interventions at the workplace are regarded as promising interventions; however, in the clinical routine only a minority of participants actually contacted the patients' workplace. In the participants workplace settings most Burnout-Patients suffered from a diagnosis defined in ICD 10 but judged themselves to be suffering from burnout. Burnout-Patients in mental health settings differ from the picture currently drawn in the media, probably because Burnout-Patients reach the mental health sector only after already having developed a manifest psychiatric disorder.