ABSTRACT
Burnout is precipitated by work stressors (the ‘seed’), but personality style––largely overlooked––can supply a predisposition (the ‘soil’). We argue that burnout can best be seen as a ‘diathesis–stress’ condition. This, translated, means that people develop certain conditions when predisposing and usually internal (e.g. genetic, developmental or personality factors) interact with a stressful event/s (usually external to the person, such as extreme time demands). In the same way a seed will not grow unless planted in fertile soil, neither is a psychological condition likely to develop after exposure to a stressful event in those without a vulnerability. Such predisposing factors include (increased risk group in brackets): gender (women), age (younger), marital status (single), education level (higher), and psychological characteristics, such as neuroticism, an ‘external’ locus of control, a Type A personality, lower resilience, a low sense of ‘self-efficacy’ and reduced levels of hardiness and emotional intelligence. Three additional traits include sensitivity to others’ judgements (unstable self-esteem), introversion/shyness and perfectionism. Perfectionism is the trait of key relevance to burnout vulnerability (and more closely analysed in the next chapter). Thus, recommendations for resolution of burnout need to focus more widely than on de-stressing alone, and include modulating at-risk personality styles and the individual’s views of the world.
