"Burnout" was first investigated in the 1970s as a crisis of overextended and disillusioned social service workers. However, as the nature of these workers' jobs has changed, so has the nature of the syndrome. The current experience of burnout is lived out in a more challenging social context, with social service workers struggling harder for social credibility and job security. For instance, because of greater demands on their time and energy, teachers are being pressed to do more work with fewer resources, while receiving fewer rewards and less recognition of their efforts. The objective of...

"Burnout" was first investigated in the 1970s as a crisis of overextended and disillusioned social service workers. However, as the nature of these workers' jobs has changed, so has the nature of the syndrome. The current experience of burnout is lived out in a more challenging social context, with social service workers struggling harder for social credibility and job security. For instance, because of greater demands on their time and energy, teachers are being pressed to do more work with fewer resources, while receiving fewer rewards and less recognition of their efforts. The objective of...