People who experienced or were close to burnout in European countries in 2021

According to a survey conducted in Europe in 2022, 70 percent of respondents in Poland reported suffering from a burnout or felt on the verge of it. This was followed by Romania with 67 percent of respondents that experienced or were close to a burnout. The WHO classifies burnout as a syndrome which results from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed effectively. This can manifest in such ways as feelings of very low energy and depletion; feelings of distance and negativity towards the person’s job; or emotions of effectivity or lack of accomplishment.

Situation exacerbated by COVID?

The COVID-19 pandemic caused uncertain times for many people. The pandemic forced millions of workers to work from home, while healthcare workers were confronted with the increased strain the virus put on the health systems. In comparison to before the pandemic hit, a survey in the U.S. found that respondents of all generations reported higher levels of burnout during the pandemic. Furthermore, more than half of U.S. workers reported that working from home had made them more stressed.

Risk factors of stress

In 2019, over 14 billion U.S. dollars were spent on healthcare expenditure relating to stress-related conditions. In terms of numbers, over 5.5 million inpatient admissions were the result of stress-related conditions, while almost 68.9 million GP appointments were made due to stress. Over 943 thousand hospital admissions in 2019 were due to chest pain stemming from stress-related mental illness.