GENEVA: The World Health Organization has clarified on Tuesday (May 28) that “burnout” remains an “occupational phenomenon” and not a medical condition.
The statement came a day after the WHO mistakenly said it had listed burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time.
While burnout was listed in the previous version, the ICD-10, its definition has been modified based on existing research.
Burnout is now defined as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
The syndrome is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.
The annual World Health Assembly, which wraps up on Tuesday, approved at the weekend the latest catalogue of diseases and injuries, collectively known as the ICD-11.
