When do we talk about burnout?
For a while we talked about stressthen harassment, then suicides in the workplace sadly made the headlines. And a new term appeared: the burnout. It was an American psychologist, Christina Maslach, who gave the first definition. It is characterized by the following three symptoms.
An exhaustion. Patients say they are “drained”, exhausted, so tired that they are unable to perform the essential acts of life such as getting up, getting dressed…
A profound alteration of emotions. The individual is no longer affected by what happens to him, he no longer feels empathy. Like this nurse in a cancer service saying that she no longer feels anything in the face of the death of certain patients, even children, evokes Dr. Patrick Légeron, psychiatrist.
A loss of self-esteem. “People who are victims of burnout are overwhelmed, feel worthless, with a strong sense of guilt. For these reasons, they dare not confide in or ask for help,” explains Dr. Olivier Dubois, psychiatrist.
How can we explain it?
A report from the National Academy of Medicine written by two psychiatrists, Pr Jean-Pierre Olié and Dr Patrick Légeron, points out that the new working conditions lead to a depersonalization of tasks. People have become cogs in an abstract system, victims of sometimes contradictory injunctions. And, according to Dr. Dubois, the fall ofself esteem resulting from conflicts of values among executives who are forced to lay off employees, while their natural inclination, their inner voice, opposes it. The recognition of burnout as an occupational disease is possible, but often difficult. Because it must be demonstrated that the mental disorders are attributable to the working conditions.
Is its frequency increasing?
Epidemiological data on burnout are insufficient because it is a difficult disease to identify. According to Public Health France, about 7% of the 480,000 employees suffering from work-related pathological suffering are affected by burnout, i.e. just over 30,000 people. Numbers that seem to be increasing.
What are the warning signs?
Unexplained, stable or diffuse physical pain, such as back painin the joints, headaches… or tightness in the chest, or difficulty in breathing at times. The sleep qualitysexuality (with frequent “breakdowns”) are also affected. On the psychic level, we note increasingly frequent negative emotions and, on the behavioral level, isolation, withdrawal into oneself. Sometimes an increase in the consumption of coffeeof tobacco oralcohol.
What protects?
Be happy in your job. “Recently, a study showed that 85% of Norwegians consider themselves ‘recognized’ in their company, whereas in our country, the proportion is barely 50%”, emphasizes Dr Alain Acker, occupational physician. Thus in Finland, the telecommunications group Nokia has developed real training for employees to enable them to provide support to colleagues in difficulty. A motivation not only humanitarian. It has indeed been proven that a company whose employees are happy generates more profits!
How do we get over it?
A long work stoppage is essential. And of course medical care including medication (mainly antidepressants), behavioral psychotherapy, sometimes hospitalization. A change of life is sometimes desirable. To avoid falling into the trap of drug addiction, think about hydrotherapy. The Stop-Tag study, coordinated by the Saujon thermal baths medical team and validated by Inserm (National Institute for Health and Medical Research), shows its superior effectiveness compared to a antidepressant(paroxetine), even six months after a three-week course.
*The Saujon Psychiatric Days bring together caregivers of malaise every year.
**Author of “Stress at work, a health issue”, ed. Odile Jacob.
Our Experts
Dr Patrick Légeron, psychiatrist, stress specialist**
Dr Olivier Dubois psychiatrist, director of the Thermes de Saujon (17)
Dr Alain Acker, occupational physician
Read also:
Burn-out: the need to improve diagnosis
Will burnout finally be recognized as an occupational disease?
Burnout: a still poorly defined disease