Tuesday May 28, 2019
Burnout, or professional exhaustion, has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a work-related phenomenon and not an illness as such. The WHO had indicated Monday, May 27 that burn-out made its entry into the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD) which will come into force in 2022. However, a correction has just been made.
The updated definition of burnout
The WHO said Monday, May 27 that the concept of burnout entered for the first time in the International Classification of Diseases, a reference base that allows health professionals around the world to exchange information and health statistics. This Tuesday, May 28, a spokesperson made a correction indicating that burnout was already included in the classification as “factors influencing the state of health “.
Burnout, already included in the ICD, is not described as an illness or a medical condition, but as a syndrome which is the consequence of chronic stress at work. Three elements can describe burnout: the feeling of exhaustion, a negative view of others and of work, and the feeling of not being able to meet the expectations of colleagues and superiors..
A concept used only in the field of work
The WHO registry also clarified that the concept of burn-out should only be used in connection with work. He cannot describe experiences in other areas of everyday life.
Thereby, burnout which refers to a state of emotional, mental and physical fatigue, refers only to a professional context and may concern all professions. Remember that in France, one in three employees has experienced burnout during their career.
Stephanie Haerts
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