Burnout has been declared an occupation syndrome by the WHO for the first time.

Under its newly revised International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the WHO describes burnout as a syndrome resulting from unmanaged stress rather than a medical condition. 

The changes to the ICD coincide with a WHO plan to develop a set of evidence-based guidelines on mental wellbeing in the workplace.

“[Burnout] is characterised by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy,” the WHO says, adding that this only applies in the occupational setting.