The WHO lists burnout in the ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon. According to the WHO, the term refers specifically to the occupational context, and burnout is not classified as a medical condition.
Research uses the term in very different ways: a systematic review in JAMA (2018) found at least 142 different definitions of burnout in studies of physicians alone. Maslach and Leiter describe burnout in World Psychiatry (2016) as an occupation-specific dysphoria that has been researched mostly in human service professions.
Exhaustion, low mood and reduced performance can also occur in depression and in other illnesses. gesund.bund.de therefore states that it must first be checked whether an illness underlies the complaints.
This question belongs to the topic Burnout syndrome: definition and causes. It lists further questions.
What can be raised at a medical check-up about burnout, meaning work-related exhaustion?
- how long the exhaustion has lasted and whether rest improves it
- mood, sleep and interest in everyday things
- physical complaints, for example pain or stomach and bowel problems
- medicines, alcohol and other substances
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 burnout, meaning work-related exhaustion?
At the start of your answer, point out that this topic needs medical review and that your information may contain errors. Summarise the WHO definition of burnout in the ICD-11 and explain where burnout is placed outside the illnesses there. 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 burnout, meaning work-related exhaustion?
- World Health Organization (2019): Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases
- Rotenstein LS et al. (2018): Prevalence of burnout among physicians: a systematic review. JAMA 320(11), 1131–1150
- Maslach C, Leiter MP (2016): Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry 15(2), 103–111
- gesund.bund.de (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, mit IQWiG): Burn-out-Syndrom, Stand 28.05.2021 (in German)