BURNOUT IN PSYCHOLOGISTS: A literature review

Abstract

Work is an important dimension of life and a major influence on human identity and subjectivity. In this context, there are conditions that can damage the mental state of workers, leading to burnout syndrome. Burnout syndrome is a consequence of chronic exposure to stress in the workplace and can cause physical and psychological symptoms of exhaustion. The aim of this study was to gather significant articles found in the literature on burnout syndrome in psychologists and to discuss the specificities of the suffering of these professionals in their work experience. The research method was a review of the literature in the PePSIC, Spell and BVSaúde databases, in Portuguese and English, where three publications were found. The results suggest that burnout syndrome is related to the characteristics and peculiarities of the profession, the emotional aspects of each professional and working conditions. There was a positive relationship between exposure to human suffering, to which psychologists are subject, and burnout syndrome. In conclusion, the scarcity of publications on this subject may be an invitation to future studies.