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Burnout: a fashionable diagnosis
Wolfgang P Kaschka1, Dieter Korczak, Karl Broich
1ZfP Südwürttemberg, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie I der Universität Ulm, Ravensburg, Germany. wolfgang.kaschka@zfp-zentrum.de
Deutsches Arzteblatt International
|December 14, 2011
Summary
Burnout syndrome lacks a clear definition and diagnostic tools, necessitating further research into its causes, prevalence, and effective treatments. Current evidence is limited, and the term should not be used for medical diagnoses.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychiatry
- Health Economics
Background:
- Burnout syndrome is a prevalent reason for work-related medical excuses, impacting health economics.
- Significant research gaps exist regarding its scientific basis, diagnosis, classification, and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on burnout syndrome.
- To provide a selective overview of pertinent studies and identify research needs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of previously published HTA reports.
- Selective overview of relevant scientific literature.
Main Results:
- No universally accepted definition or validated diagnostic instrument for burnout syndrome currently exists.
- Commonly cited dimensions include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced performance.
- Evidence for existing epidemiological and diagnostic studies is generally low; no controlled treatment trials were identified.
Conclusions:
- High-quality controlled studies on burnout syndrome are critically needed.
- Development of a standardized, internationally accepted diagnostic instrument is essential.
- Further research should focus on etiology, pathogenesis (including neurobiological factors), epidemiology, health economics, and systematic evaluation of treatments.
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