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Promoting staff mental well-being during burnout periods

24 October 2023 | Story Carmine Nieman | Photo SUPPLIED

Opinion article by Carmine Nieman, Industrial Psychology Lecturer at the University of the Free State.

Burnout – a widely recognised concept – has gained attention since its inception in the 1970s. Research has shown that burnout occurs when individuals exhaust their coping resources due to work and personal life demands, resulting in decreased job performance and extreme fatigue. Further review revealed that burnout often results from overworking and striving for perfection, particularly in high-pressure environments with challenging professional relationships. Though not officially recognised in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the literature defines burnout as a combination of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishments due to chronic work-related stress. This condition is identifiable through symptoms such as profound fatigue, loss of motivation, cynicism towards one's work, and a sense of inadequacy. Recognising burnout as a contemporary societal challenge is vital; however, in many countries, the official statistics on this topic are not even available.

According to the literature, there are two coping strategies: positive coping, involving problem-solving and constructive appraisal, and negative coping, which leans towards managing emotions and adopting less effective coping mechanisms. Research has identified a positive correlation between negative coping and burnout, contributing to the experience of burnout among staff members who are struggling to cope personally or professionally. Stress and anxiety have inevitably also been a challenge at the University of the Free State (UFS) for years. Recent research reveals a strong link between stress and burnout, with job burnout identified as a risk factor for anxiety and stress. Thus, addressing job burnout is essential to reduce anxiety and stress symptoms among staff at the UFS, especially as we commemorate World Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mitigating the risk of burnout

Implementing early detection methods is essential to alleviate the adverse effects of burnout. Research underscores the significance of well-being in the workplace, covering emotional, psychological, physical, and behavioural aspects, to effectively manage and prevent burnout. Additionally, burnout has repercussions on personal life, leading to family issues, work-life conflict, and a diminished quality of life, underlining the importance of social support. Preventing and managing burnout entails both individual and organisational strategies. While organisations bear some responsibility, it is unrealistic to expect employees to relinquish personal responsibilities entirely.

There are numerous research outcomes based on individual strategies. Individual strategies encompass role and boundary management, cognitive restructuring, time management, lifestyle balance, coping strategies, work pattern adjustments, social resource utilisation, and overall well-being and self-assessment. Cognitive restructuring effectively prevents burnout by transforming negative and irrational thought patterns into positive and constructive ones. Time management and planning are core skills for managing a demanding job. Lifestyle management – the balance between work and non-work roles – is increasingly relevant. Moreover, effectively coping with stress by managing thoughts and controlling the interpretation of stressful experiences helps prevent and manage burnout symptoms. Furthermore, changing work patterns is recommended, such as taking regular breaks and avoiding excessive overtime. Leveraging social resources, including support from supervisors, colleagues, family, and friends, is also vital to prevent burnout.

The organisation’s social responsibility role

Research-based strategies on the organisational level are less than on the individual level but offer valuable advice and recommendations. Organisations can contribute to burnout prevention by implementing and developing policies and initiatives. Organisations should focus on transitioning individuals from burnout to engagement by fostering energy, resilience, involvement in work tasks, and job success. Regular well-being assessments also provide insights into individual and organisational well-being and coping. Supportive organisational strategies to prevent burnout entail role clarification, goal setting, nurturing supportive management relationships, eliminating unnecessary stressors, and offering flexible work schedules. Other organisational strategies include supportive practices, job design, coaching, and wellness programmes such as those offered by the Division of Organisational Development and Employee Well-being.

Based on the cumulative insights, an effective approach to addressing and preventing burnout on both individual and organisational levels involves enhancing personal and workplace coping skills. This can be achieved by replacing negative thought patterns with constructive patterns using rational emotive behaviour therapy techniques. Additionally, implementing constructive thinking techniques towards a model that focuses on various aspects of work life can assist in managing and preventing burnout. Furthermore, implementing early detection strategies is pivotal in identifying potential issues before they escalate.

Ultimately, a combined treatment plan involving collaboration between the organisation, industrial psychologists, and individuals is recommended. Such an approach ensures effective burnout management, focusing on well-being and minimising the impact of burnout.

In conclusion, burnout is a significant concern with implications for individuals and organisations. Effective interventions and treatment plans are pivotal for safeguarding well-being. Future research should continue to explore and develop treatment plans to enhance the success and well-being of individuals and organisations.

News Archive

Stem cell research and human cloning: legal and ethical focal points

2004-07-29

(Summary of the inaugural lecture of Prof Hennie Oosthuizen, from the Department of Criminal and Medical Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of the Free State.)

In the light of stem cell research, research on embryo’s and human cloning it will be fatal for legal advisors and researchers in South Africa to ignore the benefits that new bio-medical development, through research, contain for this country.

Legal advisors across the world have various views on stem cell research and human cloning. In the USA there is no legislation that regulates stem cell research but a number of States adopted legislation that approves stem cell research. The British Parlement gave permission for research on embryonic stem cells, but determined that it must be monitored closely and the European Union is of the opinion that it will open a door for race purification and commercial exploitation of human beings.

In South Africa the Bill on National Health makes provision for therapeutical and non therapeutical research. It also makes provision for therapeutical embryonical stem cell research on fetuses, which is not older than 14 days, as well as for therapeutical cloning under certain circumstances subject to the approval of the Minister. The Bill prohibits reproductive cloning.

Research on human embrio’s is a very controversial issue, here and in the rest of the world.

Researchers believe that the use of stem cell therapy could help to side-step the rejection of newly transplanted organs and tissue and if a bank for stem cell could be built, the shortage of organs for transplants would become something of the past. Stem cells could also be used for healing of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal injuries.

Sources from which stem cells are obtained could also lead to further ethical issues. Stem cells are harvested from mature human cells and embryonic stem cells. Another source to be utilised is to take egg cells from the ovaries of aborted fetuses. This will be morally unacceptable for those against abortions. Linking a financial incentive to that could become more of a controversial issue because the woman’s decision to abort could be influenced. The ideal would be to rather use human fetus tissue from spontaneous abortions or extra-uterine pregnancies than induced abortions.

The potential to obtain stem cells from the blood of the umbilical cord, bone-marrow and fetus tissue and for these cells to arrange themselves is known for quite some time. Blood from the umbilical cord contains many stem cells, which is the origin of the body’s immune and blood system. It is beneficial to bank the blood of a newborn baby’s umbilical cord. Through stem cell transplants the baby or another family member’s life could be saved from future illnesses such as anemia, leukemia and metabolic storing disabilities as well as certain generic immuno disabilities.

The possibility to withdraw stem cells from human embrio’s and to grow them is more useable because it has more treatment possibilities.

With the birth of Dolly the sheep, communities strongly expressed their concern about the possibility that a new cloning technique such as the replacement of the core of a cell will be used in human reproduction. Embryonic splitting and core replacement are two well known techniques that are associated with the cloning process.

I differentiate between reproductive cloning – to create a cloned human embryo with the aim to bring about a pregnancy of a child that is identical to another individual – and therapeutically cloning – to create a cloned human embryo for research purposes and for healing human illnesses.

Worldwide people are debating whether to proceed with therapeutical cloning. There are people for and against it. The biggest ethical objection against therapeutical cloning is the termination of the development of a potential human being.

Children born from cloning will differ from each other. Factors such as the uterus environment and the environment in which the child is growing up will play a role. Cloning create unique children that will grow up to be unique individuals, just like me and you that will develop into a person, just like you and me. If we understand this scientific fact, most arguments against human cloning will disappear.

Infertility can be treated through in vitro conception. This process does not work for everyone. For some cloning is a revolutionary treatment method because it is the only method that does not require patients to produce sperm and egg cells. The same arguments that were used against in vitro conception in the past are now being used against cloning. It is years later and in vitro cloning is generally applied and accepted by society. I am of the opinion that the same will happen with regard to human cloning.

There is an argument that cloning must be prohibited because it is unsafe. Distorted ideas in this regard were proven wrong. Are these distorted ideas justified to question the safety of cloning and the cloning process you may ask. The answer, according to me, is a definite no. Human cloning does have many advantages. That includes assistance with infertility, prevention of Down Syndrome and recovery from leukemia.

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