Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This 2021 review looked at research on the biology of burnout, which it defines as exhaustion from long or excessive workplace stress. The authors found evidence that burnout is linked with ongoing activation of the nervous system, problems in the body’s fast stress response (the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis), and changes in…
This review looks at whether burnout should be called a distinct mental disorder. The authors say the science is unclear because burnout lacks solid definitions and reliable measures. They conclude it is premature to add burnout as a formal mental disorder, but they also say burnout is a real and…
Burnout is described as an occupational phenomenon of long-term work stress that leads to emotional exhaustion, physical tiredness, and trouble thinking clearly. The review says both job factors and personal traits matter, and that long-lasting burnout is linked to worse sleep and to some health problems (for example mild cognitive…
This randomized trial tested a 3‑week outpatient program that combined stress‑management training, relaxation, physical exercise and moor baths for people with above‑average stress. Compared with a waiting list group, people who did the program had large and statistically significant reductions in perceived stress and in burnout-related symptoms (including emotional exhaustion).…
This systematic narrative review looked at research from January 1981 to November 2020 across five databases to list factors linked to burnout. The authors found 40 distinct burnout-related factors and grouped them into 10 broad categories. They report that, besides biological, psychological, and social factors, spiritual and work-cultural factors also…
