Abstract
The presented study refers to cognitive aspects of burnout as the effects of long-term work-related stress. The purpose of the study was to investigate electrophysiological correlates of burnout to explain the mechanisms of the core burnout symptoms: exhaustion and depersonalization/cynicism. The analyzed error-related electrophysiological markers shed light on impaired cognitive mechanisms and the specific changes in information-processing in burnout. In the EEG study design (N = 80), two components of error-related potential (ERP), error-related negativity (ERN), and error positivity (Pe), were analyzed. In the non-clinical burnout group (N = 40), a significant increase in ERN amplitude and a decrease in Pe amplitude were observed compared to controls (N = 40). Enhanced error detection, indexed by increased ERN amplitude, and diminished response monitoring, indexed by decreased Pe amplitude, reveal emerging cognitive problems in the non-clinical burnout group. Cognitive impairments in burnout subjects relate to both reactive and unconscious (ERN) and proactive and conscious (Pe) aspects of error processing. The results indicate a stronger ‘reactive control mode’ that can deplete resources for proactive control and the ability to actively maintain goals. The analysis refers to error processing and specific task demands, thus should not be extended to cognitive processes in general. The characteristics of ERP patterns in burnout resemble psychophysiological indexes of anxiety (increased ERN) and depressive symptoms (decreased Pe), showing to some extent an overlapping effect of burnout and related symptoms and disorders. The results support the scarce existing data on the psychobiological nature of burnout, while extending and specifying its cognitive characteristics.
Highlights
Professional burnout is a syndrome that is currently receiving much interest from scientific research and organizational specialists
The presented waveforms depict a difference in the post-error activity for the error-related negativity (ERN) component and the proactive and conscious (Pe) component between the burnout, and control groups
In terms of error-related potential (ERP), participants diagnosed with burnout syndrome were characterized by significantly greater ERN amplitude in error trials, suggesting that this stress-related syndrome modulates the first stage of error processing linked with automatic detection of errors (Falkenstein et al, 2000)
Summary
Professional burnout is a syndrome that is currently receiving much interest from scientific research and organizational specialists. The concept of burnout is characterized by typical symptoms: psychophysical or emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminished professional efficacy (Maslach and Schaufeli, 1993; Maslach et al, 1996, 2001; Maslach and Leiter, 1997, 2004, 2008; Leiter and Maslach, 2004). The core burnout symptoms are exhaustion (associated with a lack of energy, fatigue, and discouragement) and depersonalization/cynicism (associated with withdrawal, lack of motivation and emotional distance with clients, patients or co-workers). These usually lead to a further decrease in personal accomplishment and professional efficacy. The sequential process of burnout (e.g., Leiter et al, 2010) implies that the initial state of fatigue and exhaustion may lead to further psychosocial and health consequences
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