The World Health Organization has for the first time recognised “burnout” in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is widely used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers. The above decision was reached during the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
What is Burnout?
- The WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
- The WHO said that the syndrome was characterised by three dimensions:
- 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- 3) reduced professional efficacy.
- Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life,” according to the classification.
- The updated ICD list (dubbed ICD-11) was drafted in 2018 following recommendations from health experts around the world, and was approved on May 25.
- According to the WHO, This is the first time” burnout has been included in the classification .
- The ICD-11, which is to take effect in January 2022, contains several other additions, including classification of “compulsive sexual behaviour” as a mental disorder, although it stops short of lumping the condition together with addictive behaviours.
- It does however for the first time recognise video gaming as an addiction, listing it alongside gambling and drugs like cocaine.
