What are the Factors Causing Burnout?

Burnout is a syndrome of multiple symptoms, including physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, dissatisfaction and lack of enthusiasm, and decreased productivity at the work place.

There are external and internal factors for burnout. The most common external factors causing burnout for physicians are endless government regulations, time spent on computer and paper work. A survey of 5892 physicians showed a low satisfaction rate with the amount of time spent on clerical tasks and high rate of burnout.

Other external factors of burnout for physicians are excessive workload, the complexity of the clinical problems and devastating illnesses of our patients. As well as loss of autonomy, violence in the work place, threat of malpractice suits, the lack of support from administration, and emergency calls.

Burnout can affect one third of the workforce in the USA. Most common external factors and stressors mentioned by employees:

• Conflicts in company

• Poor communication

• Lack of job security

• Dissatisfaction with boss-employee relationship

• Long hours and urgent deadlines

The internal factors causing burnout are:

• A perfectionist attitude, Competitiveness

• History of Physical or Emotional trauma

• Lack of Self-care

• Perception that one’s response is inadequate to cope with stress