According to the International Classification of Diseases, the WHO diseases diagnostics guideline handbook, a burnout is now a recognised medical condition.
Describing the medical condition on their website, ICD said:
Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized 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. Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.
Burnout has been a blurry topic in the medical field for years. Researchers have been at it for years, CNN said.
The authors of that review, Linda and Torsten Heinemann, say that over the next four decades, hundreds of studies appeared on the subject. During that time, they noted burnout was not considered an actual mental disorder even though it is “one of the most widely discussed mental health problems in today’s society.”
However, according to IDC’s latest handbook for April 2019, doctors can now diagnose patients with burnout. This categorically means that your doctor can diagnose you with a burnout and prescribe that you rest or take a vacation to recover right? While we are not so sure how Doctors in Zimbabwe will handle burnout cases, we hope that patients who exude these symptoms are treated amidst a nosediving health sector.
Back to top