Why Do We Need Burnout Prevention

Individuals

If left untreated, burnout results in a feeling of exhaustion, physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually (Jacobson, 2012). It causes an attitude of cynicism and detachment toward your workplace and contributes to a loss of belief in yourself, your abilities, and your effectiveness at work (Fred & Scheid, 2018). There is an 180% increased risk of developing depressive disorders for those suffering burnout (Ahola et al., 2005). Psychological distress is not the only impact; risk significantly increases for employees whose burnout persists. For instance, there is an 84% increased risk of Type 2 diabetes (Melamed et al., 2006) and a 40% increased risk of hypertension (von Känel et al., 2020). In the short term, an employee could experience insomnia, headaches, and musculoskeletal pain (Salvagioni et al., 2017) as well as impairment in short-term memory, attention, and other cognitive processes essential for daily work activities (Gavelin et al., 2022).

"Physicians have resilience and self-reliance in abundance, but when we rely on those traits above all others, we put our own well-being and that of our patients and colleagues at risk." - Susan R. Bailey, MD, president of the American Medical Association, 2020-2021

Physicians are at a higher risk of suicide and suicidal ideation than the general population. Suicidal ideation has been associated with high workload volume and medical errors.

Suicide - According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

• Each year in the U.S., roughly 300–400 physicians die by suicide.
• In the U.S., suicide deaths are 250–400% higher among female physicians when compared to females in other professions.
• In the general population, males complete suicide four times more often than females. However, female physicians have a rate equal to male physicians.

Organizations

Leading burnout researcher from the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California Berkeley, Christina Maslach, reported that 10% to 15% of employees in an organization will meet the full criteria for burnout. She adds “over half of employees are likely negative in one or two dimensions — not burned out, but perhaps on the pathway there.” (Maslach, 2021).

Costs incurred by organizations due to burnout include:

• Absenteeism – Burnout causes a 57% increased risk of workplace absence greater than two weeks due to illness (Borritz et al., 2010).
• Lost productivity – According to Gallup, disengaged employees cost U.S. companies between $450 billion and $550 billion annually in lost productivity.
• Replacement Costs – Gallup estimates that replacing an employee can cost between half and twice their salary. For example, if an employee’s salary is $50,000, the replacement cost could be between $25,000 and $100,000.
• Healthcare expenses – According to a 2019 Stanford study, workplace stress leads to nearly 120,000 deaths and nearly $125 to $190 billion in spending each year.
• Poor Customer Service – New Voice Media reported that U.S.-based companies are losing over $75 billion annually due to poor customer experiences. A national survey indicated that 39% of respondents avoided going to the doctor because of poor previous experiences with a healthcare organization or provider (Taber et al., 2015).
• Patient Care – Patients give lower consumer assessment ratings to hospitals that require longer shifts for nurses (Stimpfel et al., 2012). The consequences of untreated burnout can become catastrophic, risking patient safety with sometimes life-threatening mistakes by employees (Drazul et al., 2018; Hall et al., 2016; Pereira-Lima et al., 2019).

Increase Professional Fulfillment

The BALANCE Framework: The good news is that you don’t have to suffer from the effects of burnout. Mental health practitioners believe that burnout can be both treated and prevented. Professional fulfillment is often defined as the extent to which an individual finds their work rewarding, meaningful, and aligned with their personal and professional goals. Focusing on increasing professional fulfillment is preventive for burnout and is less costly to both employees and employers than treatment for burnout. For health and human service employees, professional fulfillment can be fostered through the 7 pillars of the BALANCE framework:

Conclusion

Preventing burnout and fostering professional fulfillment in health and human services is not just beneficial— it's essential. It leads to healthier, happier employees who are more engaged and effective in their roles. As such, organizations need to prioritize these aspects not only to safeguard their workforce but to ensure high-quality care and service delivery.

Through sustained efforts in these areas, health and human service professionals can achieve a rewarding balance that benefits everyone involved.