According to the WHO, preventing mental health conditions at work is about managing psychosocial risks. The WHO recommends organizational interventions that assess and then mitigate, modify or remove workplace risks, for example flexible working arrangements or frameworks against violence and harassment. These recommendations concern the prevention of mental health conditions in general.
A review of 25 intervention studies in Patient Education and Counseling (2010) found that 80 % of the programmes led to a reduction in burnout. Person-directed interventions worked in the short term, while combinations with organisation-directed measures lasted 12 months and longer. In all cases, the positive effects diminished over time.
A systematic review in BMC Public Health (2017) found job control, workplace support and justice associated with less emotional exhaustion. If exhaustion has already set in, a medical assessment comes before any prevention programme.
This question belongs to the topic Family, prevention and coaching. It lists further questions.
What can be raised at a medical check-up about preventing burnout, meaning protection against lasting overload?
- sleep, recovery and activity
- stress that has lasted for months
- early signs that have already appeared
Exhaustion can have many causes, including illnesses that need treatment. For this reason a medical assessment comes before coaching, usually starting at the GP practice.
When can exhaustion become an emergency? · Why see a doctor before coaching for burnout?
Which prompt can be given to an AI assistant about preventing burnout, meaning protection against lasting overload?
At the start of your answer, point out that this topic needs medical review and that your information may contain errors. Summarise which measures the WHO recommends to prevent mental health conditions at work. Give the source for every piece of information and mark what is uncertain. Do not make a diagnosis and do not recommend any treatment. Separately, tell me which questions I should ask at the doctor’s practice.
With some services, the prompt needs to be pasted after signing in. The AI services belong to third parties. Depending on the service and the extent of use, signing in and costs may apply. AI answers can contain errors.
Which sources support the answer on preventing burnout, meaning protection against lasting overload?
- World Health Organization: Mental health at work, fact sheet
- Awa WL, Plaumann M, Walter U (2010): Burnout prevention: a review of intervention programs. Patient Education and Counseling 78(2), 184–190
- Aronsson G et al. (2017): A systematic review including meta-analysis of work environment and burnout symptoms. BMC Public Health 17, 264