Professional burnout as the state and process--what to do?

The professional staff in human service institutions is often required to spend time in intense involvement with other people. Frequently, the staff-client interaction is centred around the client's current problems (psychological, social, and/ or physical) and is therefore charged with feelings of anger, embarrassment, fear or despair In this article we follow the burnout which could not be only the consequence of such job characteristics but could appear also as the result of type of work organization, social relationships, and some bodies personal characteristics as life style, too. Moreover, it can be a consequence of a disturbed balance between give and take at all three levels of social exchange--at interpersonal, at the team, and at the organizational level. So burnout is not only the problem of individuals but also the problem of social environment in which they work. The workplaces shape how people interact with another and how they carry out their jobs. In addition, we try to find the ways how to prevent or to reduce burnout, too. So we present the theories of social comparison (Festinger, 1954; Schachter, 1959), equity theory (Walster and Berscheid, 1978), as also the Kahn's model of employee engagement (1990) and the Schaufeli- Buunk's integrative comprehensive social exchange model (1993) as the possible key to help individuals and organization. In this context V. also Frankl's logo therapy (sense of purpose, 1960) became much more important as the theories of positive (Seligman, 2000) and humanistic psychology (Maslow, 1971, 1987; Rogers, 1959), too.