We’re well aware of what job burnout means, but now it’s officially a medical term used to describe a harmful condition.
Described as a feeling of extreme work stress, burnout is now a legitimate medical diagnosis, according to the International Classification of Diseases, or the ICD-11, the World Health Organization’s handbook that guides medical providers in diagnosing diseases.
It now appears in the ICD-11’s section on problems related to employment or unemployment. According to the handbook, doctors can diagnose someone with burnout if they experience the following symptoms:
1. feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2. increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of