Long-term sickness absence due to burnout: absentees' experiences

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Increased long-term sickness absence with mental diagnoses noted in Sweden.
• Limited research connects burnout to sickness absence.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate causes of burnout leading to long-term sickness absence (>28 days).
• Explore the process of emotional deprivation preceding sickness absence.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory analysis of interviews with 32 individuals diagnosed with burnout and on long-term sick leave.
• Development of an eight-step model termed "The Burnout Stairs".

Main Results:

• Identified a process of emotional deprivation as a precursor to burnout and sickness absence.
• Pinpointed unacknowledged shame, originating from poor workplace social relations, as the core emotion in this process.

Conclusions:

• Burnout and long-term sickness absence are linked to a progression of emotional deprivation.
• Addressing unacknowledged shame and improving workplace social relations may mitigate burnout and sickness absence.