TY - JOUR
T1 - Harmonized definition of occupational burnout
T2 - A systematic review, semantic analysis, and Delphi consensus in 29 countries
AU - Guseva Canu, Irina
AU - Marca, Sandy Carla
AU - Dell'Oro, Francesca
AU - Balázs, Ádám
AU - Bergamaschi, Enrico
AU - Besse, Christine
AU - Bianchi, Renzo
AU - Bislimovska, Jovanka
AU - Koscec Bjelajac, Adrijana
AU - Bugge, Merete
AU - Busneag, Carmen Iliana
AU - Çağlayan, Çiğdem
AU - Cernițanu, Mariana
AU - Costa Pereira, Cristiana
AU - Dernovšček Hafner, Nataša
AU - Droz, Nadia
AU - Eglite, Maija
AU - Godderis, Lode
AU - Gündel, Harald
AU - Hakanen, Jari J
AU - Iordache, Raluca Maria
AU - Khireddine-Medouni, Imane
AU - Kiran, Sibel
AU - Larese-Filon, Francesca
AU - Lazor-Blanchet, Catherine
AU - Légeron, Patrick
AU - Loney, Tom
AU - Majery, Nicole
AU - Merisalu, Eda
AU - Mehlum, Ingrid Sivesind
AU - Michaud, Laurent
AU - Mijakoski, Dragan
AU - Minov, Jordan
AU - Modenese, Alberto
AU - Molan, Marija
AU - van der Molen, Henk
AU - Nena, Evangelia
AU - Nolimal, Dusan
AU - Otelea, Marina
AU - Pletea, Elisabeta
AU - Pranjic, Nurka
AU - Rebergen, David
AU - Reste, Jelena
AU - Schernhammer, Eva
AU - Wahlen, Anny
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the University of Lausanne and European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Action CA 16216 "Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts” (OMEGA-NET).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/3/1
Y1 - 2021/3/1
N2 - Objective A consensual definition of occupational burnout is currently lacking. We aimed to harmonize the definition of occupational burnout as a health outcome in medical research and reach a consensus on this definition within the Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET). Methods First, we performed a systematic review in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase (January 1990 to August 2018) and a semantic analysis of the available definitions. We used the definitions of burnout and burnout-related concepts from the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) to formulate a consistent harmonized definition of the concept. Second, we sought to obtain the Delphi consensus on the proposed definition. Results We identified 88 unique definitions of burnout and assigned each of them to 1 of the 11 original definitions. The semantic analysis yielded a first proposal, further reformulated according to SNOMED-CT and the panelists` comments as follows: "In a worker, occupational burnout or occupational physical AND emotional exhaustion state is an exhaustion due to prolonged exposure to work-related problems". A panel of 50 experts (researchers and healthcare professionals with an interest for occupational burnout) reached consensus on this proposal at the second round of the Delphi, with 82% of experts agreeing on it. Conclusion This study resulted in a harmonized definition of occupational burnout approved by experts from 29 countries within OMEGA-NET. Future research should address the reproducibility of the Delphi consensus in a larger panel of experts, representing more countries, and examine the practicability of the definition.
AB - Objective A consensual definition of occupational burnout is currently lacking. We aimed to harmonize the definition of occupational burnout as a health outcome in medical research and reach a consensus on this definition within the Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET). Methods First, we performed a systematic review in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase (January 1990 to August 2018) and a semantic analysis of the available definitions. We used the definitions of burnout and burnout-related concepts from the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) to formulate a consistent harmonized definition of the concept. Second, we sought to obtain the Delphi consensus on the proposed definition. Results We identified 88 unique definitions of burnout and assigned each of them to 1 of the 11 original definitions. The semantic analysis yielded a first proposal, further reformulated according to SNOMED-CT and the panelists` comments as follows: "In a worker, occupational burnout or occupational physical AND emotional exhaustion state is an exhaustion due to prolonged exposure to work-related problems". A panel of 50 experts (researchers and healthcare professionals with an interest for occupational burnout) reached consensus on this proposal at the second round of the Delphi, with 82% of experts agreeing on it. Conclusion This study resulted in a harmonized definition of occupational burnout approved by experts from 29 countries within OMEGA-NET. Future research should address the reproducibility of the Delphi consensus in a larger panel of experts, representing more countries, and examine the practicability of the definition.
KW - epidemiology
KW - exhaustion
KW - job stress
KW - occupational health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099352361&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5271/sjweh.3935
DO - 10.5271/sjweh.3935
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33258478
SN - 0355-3140
VL - 47
SP - 95
EP - 107
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
IS - 2
ER -