Is Burnout Just a Buzzword?

Back in the 70s, researchers started noticing that a lot of social workers were hitting a wall. They were exhausted, unhappy, and starting to detach from their work (Freudenberger, 1974).

This sparked a whole wave of research, and eventually, the "Maslach Burnout Inventory" was born (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). This handy tool helped us understand the three core signs of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (feeling cynical and distant), and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment.