Table Of Content‘I cried reading parts of this book. Profoundly insightful, with infor
mation that is superbly liberating about a phenomenon that imprisons
too many of us. Highly recommend.’
Dr. Sonia Henry, bestselling author of Going Under
‘No one wants to cause burnout in others or be the victim of burnout.
Avoiding both calamities requires a much deeper and clearer under
standing of what causes burnout and what cures it. This book does
precisely that.’
Adrian Piccoli, Professor, Gonski Institute for Education
‘A must for every senior executive and all HR professionals.’
Warren Hogan, banker and economist
‘Lawyers need to read this book: burnout doesn’t have to mean the
end of your career.’
Alice Cooney, Principal Solicitor, Office of Public
Prosecutions Victoria
Burnout
Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery is
the first complete self-help guide to burnout, based on groundbreaking
new research.
Burnout is widespread among high achievers in the workplace, and the
problem is becoming more prevalent and profound in its impact. This
book contains new evidence-based tools for readers to work out for
themselves whether they have burnout and generate a plan for recovery
based on their personal situation. Chapters show readers how to recognise
their own burnout patterns and how far they may have travelled into
burnout territory, and provide research-based management approaches to
help them regain their passions and build their resilience.
Offering fascinating new insights into the biology of burnout, and
stories from people who have rebounded from it, the book acts as a
complete guide for anyone who suspects they may have burnout, for
their friends and families, and for health professionals and employers.
Professor Gordon Parker, AO, is a clinical psychiatrist and Scientia
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He
previously headed university and hospital departments and was founder
of the Black Dog Institute. He was the recipient of the Australian Mental
Health Prize in 2020.
Gabriela Tavella is a research officer at the University of New South
Wales and is completing a PhD on burnout.
Kerrie Eyers, AM, is a psychologist and writer.
Burnout
A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways
to Recovery
Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella, and
Kerrie Eyers
Designed cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella and Kerrie Eyers
The right of Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella and Kerrie Eyers to be identified
as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
to infringe.
Originally published in Australia by Allen & Unwin 2021
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Parker, Gordon, 1942-author. | Tavella, Gabriela, author. | Eyers,
Kerrie, author.
Title: Burnout : a guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recovery /
Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella and Kerrie Eyers.
Description: 1 Edition. | New York : Routledge, 2023. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022034307 (print) | LCCN 2022034308 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032367729 (Hardback) | ISBN 9781032358963 (Paperback) |
ISBN 9781003333722 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: Burn out (Psychology)
Classification: LCC BF481 .P355 2023 (print) | LCC BF481 (ebook) |
DDC 158.7/23--dc23/eng/20221017
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034307
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022034308
ISBN: 978-1-032-36772-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-35896-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-33372-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003333722
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Taylor & Francis Books
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
PART 1
What is burnout? 23
1 Burnout: Forerunners and variants 25
2 Burnout: Its modern history 32
3 Defining and identifying burnout 40
4 The Sydney studies 46
5 What burnout is NOT 56
6 Burnout versus depression 65
7 The biology of burnout 80
PART 2
Causes of burnout: The seed and the soil 91
8 The workers’ dilemma 93
9 The toxic workplace 103
10 Occupations at high risk 109
11 Forgotten caregivers 118
12 Predisposing factors 132
viii Contents
13 Perfectionism 139
PART 3
Overcoming burnout and rekindling the flame 149
14 Resolving burnout: An introduction 151
15 For managers 154
16 For workers and caregivers 162
17 De-stressing 175
18 Managing perfectionism 185
19 Pulling it all together 193
20 A final note and a personal story of Grace under pressure 206
PART 4
Appendices 213
Appendix A: The Sydney Burnout Measure (SBM) 215
Appendix B: Workplace triggers 220
Appendix C: Perfectionism scale 223
Appendix D: Resources for workers and caregivers 225
Index 234
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks to the University of New South Wales and the National
Health and Medical Research Council for making our research possible, to
the Australian Government for providing a Research Training Program
Scholarship, and to the Black Dog Institute for their support in advancing
our burnout studies. To Dusan Hadzi-Pavlovic, for statistical wisdom and
support. To Adam Bayes, for compiling and collating the research material
on the biology of burnout. To Elizabeth Weiss, for first commissioning this
book and then for providing her advice and wise and deft editorial judge
ments. To Simone Ford, Pamela Dunne, Tom Bailey-Smith, Grace
McDonnell and Tom Bedford, for skilled and perceptive editing of the
highest order. To Grace McDonnell for her editorial perceptiveness in
producing this international edition. Finally, to the study participants,
patients and commentators who so generously shared their personal
stories with us: you have inspired this book’s creation and brought its
content to life.
