Stress & Burnout

When do we get stressed out?

When challenges and demands surpass our capacities, resources, and energy; when adaptation is required; when homeostasis is disrupted; when we perceive threats to important goals as insurmountable.

Fight-or-Flight Response

A physiological and psychological response to threat involving increased arousal and stress hormones (e.g., cortisol).

Cortisol

A stress hormone released by the adrenal cortex during the fight-or-flight response.

Tend and Befriend Theory

Proposes that people (especially women) respond to stress by nurturing others and seeking social support.

Social-Cognitive Appraisal Model

Stress depends on how we interpret (appraise) events.

Primary Appraisal

Evaluation of an event as positive, neutral, or negative (harm, threat, or challenge).

Secondary Appraisal

Evaluation of coping resources: Can I handle this? What can I do? Who is in control? How much time do I have?

Factors Influencing Appraisal

Perceived duration, valence (positive/negative), control, predictability, and available resources.

Psychological Effects of Fight-or-Flight

Racing thoughts; heightened threat detection (including false positives); misinterpreting bodily sensations or others’ intentions; increased focus on escape.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

The body’s standard response to stressors: alarm, resistance, and (if chronic) exhaustion.

GAS: Alarm Stage

Initial fight-or-flight response.

GAS: Resistance Stage

Body attempts to repair and remain on alert; elevated cortisol; if stress persists, long-term strain occurs.

Chronic Stress

Long-term stress that increases risk for serious physical and psychological health problems.

Health Risks of Chronic Stress

Heart disease; Alzheimer’s/dementia; musculoskeletal disorders; respiratory illness; weakened immune function; sleep problems; GI issues; nervous and reproductive dysfunction.

Life Events Stress Scale

300+ points = 80% health risk; 150–300 = 50% risk; below 150 = 30% risk.

Burnout

A syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (cynicism), and reduced personal accomplishment.

Emotional Exhaustion

Feeling drained and depleted of emotional resources.

Depersonalization (Cynicism)

Detachment, irritability, treating people like objects, emotional withdrawal.

Reduced Personal Accomplishment

Feeling ineffective and lacking achievement.

Symptoms of Burnout

Loss of enthusiasm; powerlessness; negative emotions; unmanageable stress; physical ailments; lower performance; feeling “empty.”

Work-Related Risk Factors for Burnout

Excessive workload; lack of control; role conflict; low reward; poor social support; value mismatch.

Personal Risk Factors for Burnout

Perfectionism; low resilience; workaholism; lack of recovery time.

Social Risk Factors for Burnout

Lack of support system; financial stress; cultural norms glorifying overwork.

Schaufeli & Buunk (1992) Burnout Findings

Higher burnout in bureaucratic settings, high knowledge demands, and emotionally intensive “people work.”

Kenworthy et al. (2014) Emotional Dissonance

Emotional labor (faking emotions) moderately correlated with emotional exhaustion (r ≈ .34).

Jacobs & Dodd (2003) Burnout Findings

Perceived workload predicts burnout more than objective workload; social support lowers negativity and increases accomplishment.

Maslach & Jackson (1981)

Developed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); defined burnout’s three dimensions; emphasized social/workplace context.

Ahola et al. (2012)

Low physical activity was the strongest risk factor for burnout.

Hill & Curran (2016) Perfectionism

Perfectionistic concerns linked to more burnout; perfectionistic strivings linked to less burnout.

Cognitive Distortions

Biased thought patterns leading to exaggerated negative interpretations of reality.

Magnification & Minimization

Exaggerating failures and dismissing successes.

Catastrophizing

Assuming the worst possible outcome regardless of likelihood.

Overgeneralization

Viewing a single negative event as a never-ending pattern.

Jumping to Conclusions (Mind-Reading)

Assuming others are judging you negatively without sufficient evidence.

Splitting (All-or-Nothing Thinking)

Seeing events as entirely good or entirely bad with no middle ground.

Purpose of Learning Cognitive Distortions

To build empathy for others and practice noticing and reframing distorted thoughts in oneself.

Implementation Intention

“When I notice myself ___, I will instead ___.”

Approach Coping Strategies

Directly addressing the stressor or changing cognitions about it.

Avoidant Coping Strategies

Suppressing or avoiding feelings without addressing the stressor.

Benefits of Approach Coping

Better emotional adjustment; lower distress; stronger immune function; longer survival.

Consequences of Avoidant Coping

Greater distress; faster disease progression; poorer immune functioning.

Schachter (1959) Affiliation Study

Highly anxious participants preferred waiting with others rather than alone.

Amoroso & Walters (1969)

Silent affiliation after shock reduced heart rate and anxiety compared to waiting alone.

Cohen & Hoberman (1983)

Social support buffers the impact of life stressors on depression.

Berkman & Syme (1979)

Lack of social ties predicted higher mortality over nine years.

Contemporary Social Support Findings

Social support linked to better recovery and survival; married individuals tend to live longer, especially men.