Burnout syndrome is a state of total exhaustion related to work conditions and stress from work. Recent findings suggest that logotherapy and the concepts of existential meaning and life fulfilment could provide a useful framework for explaining and potentially preventing burnout. This review article summarizes and reflects current knowledge concerning the relation between burnout syndrome and existential vacuum as a potential correlate. It also explores the risks of burnout and the need of better definition of this condition including more precise diagnostic criteria and internationally recognized measurement tools. Intensified research on relations between burnout and lack of existential fulfilment and meaning could help with future prevention and intervention design.

Central European Institute of Technology Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Psychiatry 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czechia

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Frankl VE. Man’s search for meaning. New York: Simon and Schuster; (1985).

Längle A. Burnout—existential meaning and possibilities of prevention. Eur Psychother (2003) 4(1):107–21.

Nindl A, Längle A, Gamsjäger E, Sauer J. The relationship between existential fulfillment and burnout. Eur Psychother (2003) 4(1):145–9.

Tomic W, Tomic E. Existential fulfillment and burnout among principals and teachers. J Beliefs Values (2008) 29:1:11–27. 10.1080/13617670801928191 DOI

Loonstra B, Brouwers A, Tomic W. Feelings of existential fulfilment and burnout among secondary school teachers. Teach Teach Educ (2009) 25(5):752–7. 10.1016/j.tate.2009.01.002 DOI

Avery AA, Barber N, Ghaleb M, Dean Franklin B, Armstrong S, Crowe S, et al. Investigating the prevalence and causes of prescribing errors in general practice: the PRACtICe Study. General Medical Council (2012) 227.

Iorga M, Dondas C, Ioan BG, Petrariu FD. The contribution of alexithymia to burnout in forensic physicians. The Medical-Surgical Journal (2016) 120(4):900–14. PubMed

Ptacek R, Stefano GB, Kuzelova H, Raboch J, Harsa P, Kream RM. Burnout syndrome in medical professionals: a manifestation of chronic stress with counterintuitive passive characteristics. Neuroendocrinol Lett (2013) 34(4):259–64. PubMed

Bianchi R, Schonfeld IS, Laurent E. “Burnout syndrome”—from nosological indeterminacy to epidemiological nonsense. BJPsych Bull (2017) 41(6):367–8. 10.1192/pb.41.6.367 PubMed DOI PMC

Korczak D, Huber B, Kister C. Differential diagnostic of the burnout syndrome. GMS Health Technol Assess (2010) 6:1–9. 10.3205/hta000087. PubMed DOI PMC

Freudenberger HJ. Staff burn-out. J Soc Issues (1974) 30(1):159–65.

Freudenberger H, North G. Burn-out bei Frauen. Frankfurt: Krüger Verlag; (1992).

Schaap CPDR, Kladler AJ. Burn out: Diagnostik und Behandlung. Verhaltensther Psychosoziale Prax (1993) 1(93):45–61.

Karazman R. Das Burnout-Syndrom. Vortrag an der österreichischen van Swieten-Tagung vom (1994) 27:10.

Maslach C, Jackson SE. The measurement of experienced burnout. J Occup Behav (1981) 2(2):99–113. 10.1002/job.4030020205 DOI

Maslach C, Schaufeli WB, Leiter MP. Job burnout. Ann Rev Psychol (2001) 52(1):397–422. 10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397 PubMed DOI

Maslach C, Leiter MP. Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry (2016) 15(2):103–11. 10.1002/wps.20311 PubMed DOI PMC

Sonneck G. Selbstmorde und Burnout von Ärzten. Z. f. ärztliche Fortbildung ZAF (1994) 7(3):4.

Iacovides A, Fountoulakis KN, Kaprinis S, Kaprinis G. The relationship between job stress, burnout and clinical depression. J Affect Disord (2003) 75(3):209–21. 10.1016/S0165-0327(02)00101-5 PubMed DOI

Li J. Karoshi: an international work-related hazard? Int J Cardiol (2016) 206:139–40. 10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.01.092 PubMed DOI

Cherniss C. Professional burnout in human service organizations. New York: Praeger Publishers; (1980).

Cherniss C. Burnout in new professionals: a long-term follow-up study. J Health Hum Res Admin (1989) 12(1):11–24.

Cherniss C. Natural recovery from burnout: results from a 10-year follow-up study. J Health Hum Res Admin (1990) 13(2):132–54.

Lastovkova A, Carder M, Rasmussen HM, Sjoberg L, de GROENE GJ, Sauni R, et al. Burnout syndrome as an occupational disease in the European Union: an exploratory study. Ind Health (2018) 56(2):160–5. 10.2486/indhealth.2017-0132 PubMed DOI PMC

Chirico F. Is it time to consider burnout syndrome an occupational disease? Br J Psychiatry (2006) 190(1):81. 10.1192/bjp.190.1.81a DOI

Bahlmann J, Angermeyer MC, Schomerus G. Calling it “burnout” instead of “depression”—a strategy to avoid stigma? Psychiatr Prax (2013) 40(2):78–82. 10.1055/s-0032-1332891 PubMed DOI

Pines A, Aronson E. Career burnout: causes and cures. New York: The Free Press; (1988).

Maslach C, Leiter MP. The truth about burnout. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; (1997).

Leiter MP, Schaufeli WB. Consistency of the burnout construct across occupations. Anxiety Stress Coping (1996) 9(3):229–43. 10.1080/10615809608249404 DOI

Bakker AB, Demerouti E, Schaufeli WB. Validation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey: an internet study. Anxiety Stress Coping (2002) 15(3):245–60. 10.1080/1061580021000020716 DOI

Richardsen AM, Martinussen M. Factorial validity and consistency of the MBI-GS across occupational groups in Norway. Int J Stress Manag (2005) 12(3):289. 10.1037/1072-5245.12.3.289 DOI

Längle A, Künz I. Leben in der Arbeit? Wien: Facultas Verlags- und Buchhandels AG facultas Universitätverlag; (2016).

Burisch M. Das Burnout-Syndrom: Theorie der inneren Erschöpfung [The burnout-syndrome: a theory of inner exhaustion]. Heidelberg: Springer Medizin Verlag; (2006).

Schaufeli WB, Buunk BP. Burnout: An overview of 25 years of research and theorizing. The Handbook of Work and Health Psychology (2003) 2:282–424.

Demerouti E, Bakker AB, Nachreiner F, Schaufeli WB. The job demands—resources model of burnout. J Appl Psychol (2001) 86(3):499. 10.1037//0021-9010.86.3.499 PubMed DOI

Rösing I. Ist die Burnout-Forschung ausgebrannt?: Analyse und Kritik der internationalen Burnout-Forschung. Heidelberg: Asanger; (2003).

Bianchi R, Schonfeld IS, Laurent E. Burnout–depression overlap: a review. Clin Psychol Rev (2015) 36:28–41. 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.004 PubMed DOI

Jaggi F. Burnout-praxisnah: 2 Tabellen. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag; (2008).

Kristensen TS, Borritz M, Villadsen E, Christensen KB. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: a new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work Stress (2005) 19(3):192–207. 10.1080/02678370500297720 DOI

Maslach C, Jackson SE. Maslach Burnout Inventory manual. Second edition. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press; (1986).

Taris TW, Schreurs PJ, Schaufeli WB. Construct validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey: a two-sample examination of its factor structure and correlates. Work Stress (1999) 13(3):223–37. 10.1080/026783799296039 DOI

Schaufeli W, Enzmann D. The burnout companion to study and practice: a critical analysis. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis; (1998).

Pines A, Aronson E, Kafry D. Burnout: from tedium to personal growth. New York: The Free Press; (1981).

Malach-Pines A. The burnout measure, short version. Int J Stress Manag (2005) 12(1):78. 10.1037/1072-5245.12.1.78 DOI

Schaufeli WB, Enzmann D, Girault N. Measurement of burnout: a review. professional burnout: recent developments in theory and research. (1993), 199–215. 10.4324/9781315227979-16 DOI

Frankl V. Grundriß der Existenzanalyse und Logotherapie. In: Frankl V, Gebsattel V, Schultz JH, editors. (Hrsg) Handbuch der Neurosenlehre und Psychotherapie. Urban & Schwartzenberg; (1959). p. 663–736.

Frankl V. Theorie und Therapie der Neurosen. Munich: Reinhardt Verlag; (1983).

Ulrichová M. Logo therapy and existential analysis in counselling psychology as prevention and treatment of burnout syndrome. Procedia Soc Behav Sci (2012) 69:502–8. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.439 DOI

Längle A. Sinnvoll leben. Angewandte Existenzanalyse. St. Pölten: NP-Verlag; (1994). p. 4.

Frankl VE. Psychiatry and man’s quest for meaning. J Relig Health (1962) 1(2):93–103. 10.1007/BF01532076 DOI

Frankl VE. Die Existenzanalyse und die Probleme der Zeit. Schriftenreihe Symposium. Amandus-Edition. (1947) 14:1–48.

Längle A. Sinnvoll leben (1987). St. Pölten: Niederösterr. Pressehaus.

Längle A. Wende ins Existentielle. Die Methode der Sinnerfassung. Entscheidung zum Sein. In: VE Frankls Logotherapie in der Praxis. Piper; (1988). p. 40–52.

Längle A, Orgler C, Kundi M. The Existence Scale: a new approach to assess the ability to find personal meaning in life and to reach existential fulfilment. Eur Psychother (2003) 4(1):135–51.

Frankl VE. Logotherapy and existential analysis—a review. Am J Psychother (1966) 20(2):252–60. 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1966.20.2.252 PubMed DOI

Loonstra B, Brouwers A, Tomic W. Conceptualization, construction and validation of the existential fulfilment scale. Eur Psychother (2007) 7(1):5–18.

Crumbaugh JS, Maholick LT. Manual of instructions for the purpose in life test. Munster (Indiana) (1981).

Lukas ES. Logo-test: Test zur Messung von “innerer Sinnerfüllung” und “existentieller Frustration”, Ed. Testbogen W. Wien: Deuticke; (1986).

Bulka RP. Logotherapy as an answer to burnout. The International Forum for Logotherapy. (1984) 7(1):8–17.

Pines A. Burnout. In: Goldberger L, Breznitz S, editors. Handbook of stress: theoretical and clinical aspects, 2nd ed Free Press; (1993. a). p. 386–402.

Pines A. Couple burnout: causes and cures. New York: Routledge; (1996).

Kernberg OF. Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism. New York: Janson Aronson; (1975).

Bob P, Pec O. Splitting in schizophrenia: controversies and links between neuroscience and psychodynamic theory. Act Nerv Super (2017) 59(3–4):106–23. 10.1007/s41470-017-0012-1 DOI

Schwarzkopf K, Straus D, Porschke H, Znoj H, Conrad N, Schmidt-Trucksäss A, et al. Empirical evidence for a relationship between narcissistic personality traits and job burnout. Burnout Res (2016) 3(2):25–33. 10.1016/j.burn.2015.12.001 DOI

Nindl A. Zwischen existentieller Sinnerfllung und Burnout [Between existential fulfillment and burnout]. Existenzanalyse [Existential Analysis] (2001) 1:15–23.

Tomic W, Tomic DM, Evers WJ. A question of burnout among Reformed Church ministers in the Netherlands. Mental Health Relig Cult (2004) 7(3):225–47. 10.1080/13674670310001602472 DOI

Yiu-Kee C, Tang CSK. Existential correlates of burnout among mental health professionals in Hong Kong. J Ment Health Couns (1995) 17(2):220–9.

Ben-Itzhak S, Dvash J, Maor M, Rosenberg N, Halpern P. Sense of meaning as a predictor of burnout in emergency physicians in Israel: a national survey. Clin Exp Emergency Med (2015) 2(4):217. 10.15441/ceem.15.074 PubMed DOI PMC

Pines A. Burnout: an existential perspective. In: Schaufeli WB, Maslach C, Marek T, editors. Professional burnout: recent developments in theory and research. Taylor & Francis; (1993. b). p. 19–32.

Korczak D, Wastian M, Schneider M. Therapy of the burnout syndrome. GMS Health Technol Assess (2012) 8:Doc05. 10.3205/hta000103. PubMed DOI PMC