The concept of Burnout syndrome came into limelight in the last 40 years. According to Webster Dictionary, Burnout Syndrome is simply “physical or emotional exhaustion, especially as a result of long term stress or dissipation”. It is a response to prolong exposure to workplace stress.
Although the concept was first propounded by Henry Fredenberger in 1974, it was later studied by latter day workers like Maslash & Jackson. Infact, one of the tools for studying Burnt Out Syndrome is called Maslash Burnout Inventory (a 22 items questionnaire).
It is a syndrome that can affect doctors although all health workers inclusive. Even though all health workers can be affected, it has been observed to affect mainly nurses and doctors. Generally it affects those that their work involves interaction with people or recipients of services which includes others like Educational, police and judiciary workers.
Who are specifically at risk among these workers?
• Those who work long hours
• Those who work in high emotional demanding situations
• Workers where there is inadequate personals
• Workers where there is lack of professional recognition
• Those exposed to workplace hazards
• Workers with constant contact with client sufferings, pains and even death
• Those in regular conflict with co-workers
• Workers with excessive work load
It is said to be on the increase globally especially in the light of changing work place- more uncertainty, instability, changing work contract and in some cases increasing work load.
It has three component- Emotional Exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. The emotional exhaustion is the commonest aspect.
Are you burn out?
o Do you feel depletion of emotional resources to have contact with other people?(Emotional Exhaustion)
o Are you most likely to access yourself negatively especially regarding your work?(Reduced
personal accomplishment)
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o Do you have negative feelings and cynical attitudes towards your clients who receive care and services from you?(Depersonalization)
If you have any of this you may be having burn out syndrome.
Implications of Burnt Out Syndrome
The impact is enormous on the workers and the organization they work
Excessive absenteeism
High job turnover
Inappropriate and excessive application for sick leave or sick off.
Reduced overall personal wellbeing
Intention and desire of worker to leave the job
Decrease in workers’ productivity
Poor target performance
Tendency to feel fatigue
Inability to provide basic service to client or customers
Deterioration in social relationship with friends and family etc
Poor effectiveness at work
Even though, the syndrome is becoming more and more recognized with it associated problems, it must be noted that it is preventable.
To avoid this effect on yourself or your organization, you need an experience counselor and a life skill trainer may help.
Individual strategies which include being aware of the problem, developing interpersonal, social and team building skills may help. Other skills that would help include time management, having
a schedule for relaxation and stress relieve program.
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Organizations should identify this problem and ensure efforts are made to ameliorate the effects and reduce predisposing factors among their workers.
Furthermore, workplace hazards whether physical, biological or chemical should be reduced. There should be improvement of work schedule, adoption of effective conflict resolution mechanism at workplace, adequate staffing and developing a responsive human resource department.
Sharing your experience would help other readers, kindly do comment below.
By Field Snow
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