BURNOUT A MEDICAL CONDITION, SAYS WHO

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Why in News:

  • The World Health Organization has for the first time recognised “burn-out” in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is widely used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers.

Details:

  • The decision, reached during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, could help put to rest decades of debate among experts over how to define burnout, and whether it should be considered a medical condition. WHO defines burn-out as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed?”

Three dimensions:

  • The syndrome was characterised by three dimensions: “1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy.”
  • Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life,” This is the first time” burnout has been included in the ICD classification. The ICD-11, which is to take effect in January 2022, contains several other additions, including classification of “compulsive sexual behaviour” as a mental disorder, although it stops short of lumping the condition together with addictive behaviours. It does however for the first time recognise video gaming as an addiction, listing it alongside gambling and drugs like cocaine.
  • The updated list removes transgenderism from its list of mental disorders meanwhile, listing
    it instead under the chapter on “conditions related to sexual health”.

ICD:

  • ICD is the international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. Its full official name is International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
  • It is maintained by WHO and is revised periodically.
  • It provides common language that allows health professionals to share health information across the globe. It contains around 55,000 unique codes for injuries, diseases and causes of death.
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