Trends in burnout and related sick leave duration in working-age adults followed in general practices in Germany between 2012 and 2022

Abstract

AimsThis study investigated burnout trends and related sick leave duration in working-age adults followed in general practices in Germany. MethodsParticipants were aged 20–65 years and were diagnosed with burnout in one of 442 general practices in this country in 2012–2014, 2016–2018, and 2020–2022. The prevalence of burnout and the duration of sick leave in all practices were compared between 2012–2014 and 2016–2018 and between 2016–2018 and 2020–2022. The association between diagnosis years (i.e., 2012–2014, 2016–2018, and 2020–2022) and long-term sick leave (i.e., more than 42 days of sick leave) was investigated using adjusted logistic regression. ResultsThe study included 39,793, 46,708, and 50,721 patients diagnosed with burnout in the periods from 2012 to 2014, 2016–2018, and 2020–2022, respectively, and the prevalence of burnout in all patients was 3.6%, 3.8%, and 3.6% during these three periods. This prevalence increased significantly in people aged 61–65 years and those with a Charlson Comorbidity Index of ≥1. The mean (SD) sick leave duration in the population of people with burnout rose from 24.1 (41.9) days in the period of 2012–2014 to 36.2 (65.6) days in the period from 2020 to 2022. Finally, compared with 2012–2014, burnout diagnosed in 2016–2018 and 2020–2022 was associated with higher odds of long-term sick leave. ConclusionsIn view of these findings, it is clear that public health measures are urgently needed to improve burnout prevention in Germany.