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Burn-out: 35 years of research and practice

21 important questions on Burn-out: 35 years of research and practice

What effect did studies on the concept of burnout have on other areas of research? (4)

1. Job stress
2. Emotional labor
3. Symptom contagion
4. Social exchange

What are the differences in the way different countries accepted the concept of burnout?

In some countries, it is seen as a medical diagnosis (e.g. Sweden and the Netherlands), whereas in others it is a non-medical, socially accepted label that carries minimum stigma

For what is burnout a metaphor?

For the draining of energy, describing the exhaustion of the capacity of an employee to maintain intense involvement that has meaningful impact on work

To what definition has burnout evolved?

To a state of exhaustion in which one is cynical about the value of one's occupation and doubtful of one's capacity to perform

Why was burnout initially primarily referring to work in human services

Statements by JFK and Johnson led to many idealistically motivated young people entering the human services professions. But after a decade of not achieving this, they were increasingly disillusioned, which made idealism a defining quality of the burnout experience

What were the consequences of the cultural revolution in the 1960s?

It weakened the professional authority of service professions, amongst others, whilst simultaneously the recipients' demands of care, service, empathy, and compassion itensified

What is the development that has been going on since WWII that contributed to burnout?

Traditional social communities and networks have gradually eroded. More flexible, heteronymous, and continuously changing insititutions encourage social fragmentation

What are the factors contributing to social fragmentation? (3)

1. Decreased community support
2. Increased individualism
3. Development of parallel narcissistic culture

What are the two distinct contributors that explain why burnout still occurs nowadays despite the fact that we know that idealism is not a requirement? (2)

1. Persistent imbalance of demands over resources
2. Mismatch between personal and organizational values

How did burnout spread out over different countries?

The order in which interest in burnout spread corresponds with the economic development of the countries

What are the differences in the way different countries use the word burnout?

Some use the English word, others prefer the term exhaustion, whereas in other countries is denoted as 'the process of burnout.'

What are the benefits of recognizing burnout as a diagnosis?

These individuals could then profit from financial compensation arrangements, counseling, psychotherapeutic help, etc.

What description of burnout does the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) use, and which is the most dominant measure in the field? (3)

1. Exhaustion
2. Cynicism
3. Inefficacy

In what way is the nature of burnout still highly debated? (2)

1. Some people say that burnout is exhaustion, meanwhile ignoring the iterative process of the MBI development, and reducing burnout to workplace fatigue
2. Some scholars consider burnout a generic, context-free phenomenon, but the multi-dimensional approach as in the MBI is incompatible with this because cynicism and reduced professional efficacy refer to a specific subject

Why is the diagnosis of burnout difficult for practitioners to make?

As burnout is defined as a matter of degree on the three subscales, while practitioners often favor dichotomous diagnoses. Therefore practitioners often refer to different things when referring to burnout.

What is the issue with the use of cut-off scores in the diagnosis of burnout?

These are based on frequency distributions, which is why a high score may not necessarily be associated with subjective distress, health disorders, or poor performance

In what way has the burnout diagnosis been dichotomized?

For example, someone is considered to be severely burned-out when they have a highly negative score on exhaustion combined with a highly negative score on either of the other two dimensions.

What effect did the dichotomization of the burn-out diagnosis have?

It expanded from a psychological phenomenon to encompass a medical diagnosis in some countries. In these countries, burnout is mostly seen as the end stage

In what way is the notion that burnout is the opposite of engagement been disputed?

Research shows that exhausting and vigor and cynicism, and dedication are continua

In what way has the exclusively negative approach toward burnout changed?

It has developed into an understanding of burnout as the erosion of a positive psychological state that coincides with the emergence of positive psychology

How do organizations nowadays tackle burnout?

They focus not only on the body but also on the mind and souls of employees.

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Positive Clinical Psychology

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Burn-out: 35 years of research and practice

21 important questions on Burn-out: 35 years of research and practice

What effect did studies on the concept of burnout have on other areas of research? (4)

What are the differences in the way different countries accepted the concept of burnout?

For what is burnout a metaphor?

To what definition has burnout evolved?

Why was burnout initially primarily referring to work in human services

What were the consequences of the cultural revolution in the 1960s?

What is the development that has been going on since WWII that contributed to burnout?

What are the factors contributing to social fragmentation? (3)

What are the two distinct contributors that explain why burnout still occurs nowadays despite the fact that we know that idealism is not a requirement? (2)

How did burnout spread out over different countries?

What are the differences in the way different countries use the word burnout?

What are the benefits of recognizing burnout as a diagnosis?

What description of burnout does the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) use, and which is the most dominant measure in the field? (3)

In what way is the nature of burnout still highly debated? (2)

Why is the diagnosis of burnout difficult for practitioners to make?

What is the issue with the use of cut-off scores in the diagnosis of burnout?

In what way has the burnout diagnosis been dichotomized?

What effect did the dichotomization of the burn-out diagnosis have?

In what way is the notion that burnout is the opposite of engagement been disputed?

In what way has the exclusively negative approach toward burnout changed?

How do organizations nowadays tackle burnout?

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