Burnout syndrome

occupational disease, its peculiarities, characteristics and risks to workers’ health

Abstract

On January 1st, 2022, the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) of the World Health Organization (WHO), approved at the 72nd World Health Assembly, reclassified burnout syndrome and identified it with the code QD85, in topic "Problems associated with employment or unemployment". Therefore, burnout syndrome has been designated as a disease belonging to the world of work, as well as a series of provisions regarding its manifestation that are intrinsically linked to the labor sector. The present paper aims to study this disease that affects workers’ health, starting with a brief exposition about the balance of the work environment and its interconnected connection to workers’ health. In turn, when dealing with the disease itself, the paper explores the first definitions of the disease, its main axis of symptoms, the risk factors for it s development and the clinical methods for its diagnosis. There is also an analysis of the issues related to the characterization of the syndrome as an occupational disease and, consequently, the aspects related to the appointment of judicial expertise for its verification (identification of the causal link), as well as the rights of workers related to this illness, providing a comprehensive and integrated view of these complex themes in the contemporary work context. In short, Burnout Syndrome is a multifaceted condition with complex origins and significant challenges in identifying it. A deeper understanding of this syndrome is crucial to the development of preventive strategies and the promotion of healthy working environments, in line with the constitutional principles that support the fundamental right to health.