Burnout- Psychological Perspective

 



Burnout is a condition marked by a decrease in performance and motivation and an increase in negative comments about oneself or others. Burnout usually affects several areas of functioning commonly leaving a person languishing between wellbeing and illbeing although some may have a mental health condition.

Burnout can be experienced in one or more areas of functioning. See the SCOPES model (Sutton, 2026). SCOPES is a Six Dimensional Framework briefly applied to burnout as follows.

___________

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2022, April 14). Burnout-Psychological Perspective. Psychology Concepts and Theories. https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2022/04/burnout.html

__________

BURNOUT IN SIX DIMENSIONS (SCOPES FRAMEWORK)

S  Self- loss of interest in previously important personal development or self-enhancing activities; negative self-esteem; impaired self-efficacy; lowered interest in vital spiritual or religious activities associated with self-identity

C  Cognition- impaired attention, thinking and problem-solving; negative self-comments

O  Observable behavior- sluggishness, apathy

P  Physical-tired, insomnia, low energy; may have stress-related health disorders; long-term stress affects several systems: immune, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and reproductive. Some may develop an alcohol or other substance disorder.

E  Emotional-feeling frustrated and angry, loss of happiness and enthusiasm; prolonged stress can include anxiety disorders

S  Social- not wanting to interact with others, feeling negative toward others; avoiding social spaces associated with the source of burnout

__________

Burnout is common in occupations or activities involving high levels of work with people—especially aggressive people, people who require high levels of attention, or people dealing with acute trauma

Burnout also occurs in activities requiring continuous high levels of performance.

The term burnout (burn-out) is attributed to psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger (1974).

Job stress can lead to burnout and may be inversely related to job satisfaction in teachers regardless of working in regular or special education settings (Sutton & Huberty, 1984).

A review of research indicated burnout was linked to multiple effects including physical or health effects, psychological effects including depression, and changes in behavior such as absenteeism (See Salvagioni et al., 2017).

__________

Recovery from Burnout

Those at risk for burnout improved by reconstructing their off-work time to engage in nonwork activities (Oerlemans & Baker, 2014).

In a study focused on Internal Medicine Residents, The researchers (Abedini et al., 2018) found a few factors helpful including recognition of burnout, making connections with patients and colleagues, finding meaning in medicine, and redefining their professional identity. These findings may be useful hypotheses to develop strategies for other professionals. 

Recovery depends on the nature and persistence of the stressor. Clinicians recognize mild and severe types of burnout. The latter has been called "clinical burnout" (van Dam, 2021).

Not everyone recovers from burnout. When severe burnout leads to time off work, several factors may lead to maintaining the burnout symptoms thus time off work alone will not necessarily lead to recovery (See Almén, 2021).

How to Measure burnout

   Link to The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory


Burnout References

Abedini, N. C., Stack, S. W., Goodman, J. L., & Steinberg, K. P. (2018). “It's Not Just Time Off”: A Framework for Understanding Factors Promoting Recovery From Burnout Among Internal Medicine Residents. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 10(1), 26–32. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-17-00440.1

Almén N. (2021). A Cognitive Behavioral Model Proposing That Clinical Burnout May Maintain Itself. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(7), 3446. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073446

Freudenberger, H. J. (1974). Staff burn-out. Journal of Social Issues, 30,159-165.

Oerlemans, W. G. M., & Bakker, A. B. (2014). Burnout and daily recovery: A day reconstruction study. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19(3), 303–314. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036904

Salvagioni, D., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PloS one, 12(10), e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781

Sutton, G. W. (2026). Flourishing in six dimensions: The SCOPES framework. Sunflower. Purchase Link  ISBN 979-8199903981

Sutton, G.W., & Huberty, T.J. (1984). An evaluation of teacher stress and job satisfaction. Education, 105, 189‑192. Academia Link  Research Gate Link

van Dam, A. (2021). A clinical perspective on burnout: diagnosis, classification, and treatment of clinical burnout. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 30(5), 732–741. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1948400

Note

This page is for education and not personal advice. Consult health care providers for the most recent information and personal concerns.

Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. 

His website is https://suttong.com 


 Photo credit Bing search burnout with filter = free to share and use


Comments