Work-related Burnout An Official Syndrome

Work-related burnout (or burnout syndrome) is a topic that needs more attention. The World Health Organization (WHO) now gives this syndrome the official classification it deserves.

It will go from being a medical condition to an occupational disease. It really helps workers and gives them more rights when it comes to leave and disability. But not everyone is happy about the news.

Some critics see it very differently. Considering “burnout” as a mental illness caused by a bad job, a toxic work environment or an exploitative manager is a reminder of another critical aspect of this.

We will not solve widespread work-related burnout in workers simply by medicating people or giving them time off.

The problem will only disappear if we get to the root cause: working conditions and the problems we listed above.

But it is completely understandable that the WHO wants to take this step and reclassify such a widespread problem in mental health.

It does not solve the problem in itself, but it is a first step in the right direction. We need to take this step towards increased awareness.

Yes, it is important to have better support systems and medical resources for workers, but the root of the problem does not lie with the worker. It lies in what the labor market looks like.

Despite the controversy and skeptics, we still think this is good news. Ultimately, it is a first step towards change and a recognition of an irreversible fact.

This fact is that too many jobs cause extreme fatigue and stress as well as ruin people’s well-being.

Work-related burnout or emotional fatigue syndrome

Burnout syndrome will be included in the next edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

It will enter into force in 2022 and have a section on “associated problems” related to employment and unemployment. This section on work-related burnout will be listed under code QD85.

This means that the new classification will enter into force within a few years. But it is the beginning of acknowledging a reality that did not officially exist before or that was at least vague and fuzzy.

• Until now, syndromes related to chronic work-related stress were part of a much less clear classification.
• That definition had a serious need for a stronger connection to the world of work. It would be the only way for it to help workers get leave and sick leave and put the indisputable social reality in the spotlight.

In fact, statistics seem to indicate that burnout is already an epidemic. Christina Maslach, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s leading experts in occupational fatigue.

She started studying this subject in the 70’s. But the problem has only gotten worse since then. Another aspect of this is that work-related burnout can be a very devastating syndrome.

It stifles people’s ambitions, optimism and sense of self-worth.

The high cost of occupational burnout syndrome

Dr. Armita Golkar at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden conducted a study in 2014. Her results were very telling.

She discovered that the emotional exhaustion and negativity caused by work-related stress can actually change a person’s brain.

• The effect of this is similar to childhood trauma. Parts of the brain such as the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex put people in a constant state of worry, anxiety and in some cases post-traumatic stress.
• But that’s not all. Work-related burnout can also lead to heart disease. Many people also report that they experience musculoskeletal pain, prolonged fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, insomnia, depression and a wide range of other conditions.
• There is another factor that we need to keep in mind as well. Work-related fatigue and stress can be caused by all types of jobs. This syndrome can affect doctors, factory workers, prison guards, cashiers, nurses and teachers. No one is safe from that .

What will the new classification mean?

The new classification in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) 2022 will mention that three symptoms must be present for this occupational disease to be diagnosed:

• Feelings of extreme exhaustion.
• Constant negativity and anxiety.
• Reduced performance.

Based on this, what the WHO is trying to do with the new classification is to:

• Highlight work-related burnout and try to get real numbers for a condition that has been very underdiagnosed until now.
• Highlight work-related psychosocial aspects.

• Establish better working conditions and protect workers from stress caused by overwork, impossible schedules and declining labor market stability.

Therefore, we believe that this classification is a positive step in the right direction. But we should not just use this as a patch.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there is no real point in giving workers time off and making therapy available to them if they have to return to the same working conditions and practices afterwards.