Prevention of Human Burnout in Human Services

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Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (2011) defines burnout as the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength, usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. Burnout usually takes place when one is feeling overwhelmed because one is not able to complete the demands as expected. The more demands being made, the higher the stress level becomes and once the stress level has gotten so high one begins to lack motivation and interest on the task at hand. Supervisees may show physical, emotional, or behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout. Physical signs may include a fatigued or drained appearance, more frequent absences due to illness, increases in physical complaints, and changes in weight (Smith, Jaffe-Gill, Segal, & Segal, 2008). Emotional signs of burnout may include feelings of failure, helplessness, detachment, increasing cynicism, and decreased satisfaction (Smith, Jaffe-Gill, Segal, & Segal, 2008). There are also some behavioral signs associated with burnout. According to Smith, Jaffe-Gill, Segal, & Segal, (2008) behavioral signs may include withdrawal from work responsibilities, frequent isolation, procrastination, the use of food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with work duties, increased outbursts of anger of frustration towards others, and increased absences. The cause of burnout may be individual, cultural, organizational, lack of social support, supervisory, or a combination of any of these. One study found that “high emotional demands, high demands for hiding emotions, high quantitative demands, high work pace, low possibilities for development, low meaning of work, low predictability, low role-clarity and high role-conflict predicted burnout” (Borritz, 2006, p. 27). Employees with Type A personalities, inflexible management philosophies, low employee motivation, lack of “participative decision making”, and work policies that go against employees’

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