45 YEARS OF BURNOUT RESEARCH: EXAMINING RISKS, TREATMENTS, AND PREVALENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Professional burnout is the state or process of mental exhaustion typically associated with factors such as chronic job stress and work overload. Several models of burnout have been proposed, but Christina Maslach’s (1976) model continues to be the most prominent, with her Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) remaining the most commonly used burnout assessment tool. According to her model, burnout is made up of three dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Multiple studies have found that burnout is most highly associated with factors involving an excess of job demands and a lack of personal and professional support. Prolonged burnout is associated with decreased effectiveness on the job, multiple health problems, and an increased risk of substance abuse. Burnout researchers have found evidence which points to increased burnout levels among mental health workers, though a few studies contain evidence that mental health workers may not be at a higher risk of burnout than employees in other fields.