WHO redefines burnout as official medical diagnosis

WHO "번아웃은 직업적 증상"...질병 분류 제외

The World Health Organization has classified "burnout syndrome" as a legitimate medical diagnosis.
Burnout is a symptom that makes people feel unmotivated due to piled up stress from work and it is prevalent in our current society.
Hong Yoo has more.
The feeling of negativism or cynicism related to one's job is called "burnout", a symptom that after many years of debate has been classified as an official medical diagnosis by the World Health Organization.
Now burnout has been included in the International Classification of Diseases, a handbook made by the WHO to guide medical providers in diagnosing diseases,... but it still has not been classified as a medical condition.
This means doctors can diagnose someone with burnout syndrome if they show feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion due to stress built up from an overwhelming workload.
Before its new definition, burnout was defined simply as a "state of vital exhaustion".
Burnout can make people feel psychologically distant from their career, and is accompanied by negativism and cynicism that can reduce productivity.
The syndrome can be observed in patients who have overwhelming personal goals and it is affecting many working people.
Disproportionate balance between work and rest time is seen as one of the causes.
To prevent burnouts, the WHO recommends finishing work within the standard working hours and not taking work home.
Medical providers from WHO member states can diagnose patients with burnout starting from 2022.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.