There’s no doubt most people have felt burnt out by work on occasion, and now such burn out has been officially recognized as a medical condition.
The World Health Organization’s latest International Classification of Diseases (ICD) now includes “burnout syndrome” as a real condition, the first time it’s officially been recognized as a medical condition. “Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life,” the WHO shares.
So, what exactly constitutes “burnout syndrome?” Well, the WHO lists three specific characteristics:
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job.
Reduced professional efficacy
So, why is it a good thing that burnout syndrome is being recognized by the ICD? Well, for the past decade the WHO’s list has been used as a reference by physicians, researchers and health insurers.
And burnout syndrome isn’t the only new condition included in the ICD. The WHO has also officially added “video game addiction” as a mental health disorder. They describe it as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior” that “takes precedence over other life interests”
Source: New York Post