WHO recognises burn-out

The World Health Organization has identified the symptoms of burn-out, recognising it as an occupational hazard as concerns about mental well being in the workplace rise up the agenda.

The term is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition.

It is described in the chapter ‘Factors influencing health status or contact with health services’ – which includes the reasons people contact health services which are not classed as illnesses or health conditions.

Burn-out is defined in ICD-11 as follows:

“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
  reduced professional efficacy.
• Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

Burn-out was also included in ICD-10, in the same category as in ICD-11, but the definition is now more detailed.

The World Health Organization will be developing evidence-based guidelines on mental well-being in the workplace over the next months.

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