A brief presentation highlighting key aspects of mental health and burnout, including definitions, symptoms, treatment and more. Created by Megan Hosking, Social Worker. July/August 2017. References included.

1. Managing
Mental Health
and Burnout:
What you need to know
Megan Hosking
Social Worker
July/August 2017
• What is mental health?
• Signs of poor mental health
• Seeking help
• What is burnout?
• Causes of burnout
• Effects of burnout
• Symptoms of burnout
• Treatment for burnout
• Tips to prevent and manage
• Recovery and relapse

2. What is mental health?
• Health = “a condition of being sound in
mind, body or spirit” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
• Affects how we think, feel, and act
• Helps determine how we handle stress,
relate to others, and make choices
• Not only absence of mental illness
• A state of well-being in which every
individual realises his or her own potential,
can cope with the normal stresses of life,
can work productively and fruitfully, and is
able to make a contribution to her or his
community (World Health Organization)
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017
Emotional
Psychological
Mental
Health
Social
Biological
Environmental

3. Some signs of poor mental health
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Energy change
• Unexplained physical ailments
• Feelings out of context/unusual feelings
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Substance use
• Inability to perform tasks
• Impact on functioning
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

4. Seeking help for you or a loved one
• Seek professional assistance
• Understanding of experience
• Combination of medication and therapy
• Continuous process
• Focus on positive lifestyle
• Education and awareness
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

5. What is burnout?
• A state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with
doubts about your competence and the value of your work (Mayo Clinic)
• Possibility for many employee and professional person
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

6. Causes of burnout
• Multiple factors
• Workplace environment key to development of burnout
• Higher risk = those on “frontline”/daily continuous interaction with
other people
• interpersonal relationships intense
• exposed to high levels of emotional stressors
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

7. Emotional,
physical,
mental
impact
Large workloads, long hours,
poor job fit
Unclear job expectations,
extremes of activity
Restricted autonomy in decision
making, lack of control
Relationships with colleagues,
dysfunctional workplace dynamics
Personal characteristics, nature of
personal relationships
Unmanaged
No changes made
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

8. Effects of burnout
• Employees naturally try to increase efforts or change aspects of self if
work environment too demanding in some way, can be affected
emotionally and physically
• Large workloads, work longer hours – less time for physical exercise,
making healthy eating decisions, getting sufficient sleep, attending to
chronic health conditions, neglect for relationships
• Slowly break down vital reserves of individual which are so critical to
maintaining health mental state
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

9. Emotional
exhaustion
Depersonalisation
/ cynicism
Reduced
personal
accomplishment
Burnout
Emotional exhaustion
• Complete depletion of emotional reserves
• Feel nothing left to give other emotionally
• Leads to intense mental and physical fatigue
Depersonalisation/cynicism
• Uncharacteristically harsh, unemotional and indifferent
• Way in which person treats clients or loved ones
Reduced personal accomplishment
• Feel sense of incompetency, inadequacy and ineffectiveness with regards to performing their job
Symptoms of burnout
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

10. Thought questions
• Have you become cynical or critical at work?
• Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive?
• Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?
• Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
• Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
• Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
• Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
• Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
• Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, backaches or other physical
complaints?
Questions from Mayo Clinic
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

11. Treatment for burnout
• Prevention better than cure
• Environment to be fitted to employees needs to prevent burnout
• In business’ interest to maintain a healthy, happy workforce
• Change to occur at organisational level – goal to improve fit between employee
and workplace
• End-stage burnout = very little evidence for specific, successful treatment
strategies; severe emotional exhaustion = time off work necessary
• Seeking help from qualified medical professional (e.g. psychiatrist)
• Can appear similar to severe depression
• Combination of medication, psychotherapy, rest to recover
• Mindfulness based treatments like mindfulness based stress reduction efficient
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

12. Mindfulness and burnout
• Define the core issues
• What is actually causing the overwhelming feelings?
• What are the specific issues?
• Take your recovery one step at a time
• Choose one thing to work on
• Befriend and tune into your body
• What helps you unwind?
• Identify stress signs early
• Get support/share what you need
Mindful magazine, October 2016
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

13. Preventing
burnout
Exercise
Diet
Work
environment
Seek help
Relationships
Sleep
• allowing employees to strive for work-life balance
• utilise flexible working hours
• protect from occupational risks
• offer long-term job security
• provide compensation for reduced employment
Tips to prevent
and manage
burnout
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

14. Recovery & relapse
• Person can recover if seek proper medical treatment and able to take
time needed to recover
• Burnout is warning sign that there is a lack of fit between one’s
working environment and oneself
• Returning to working environment which produced burnout likely to produce
same outcome again
• Often at this stage career changing decisions
• Seeking help as soon as possible is recommended – doctor, clinic,
NGO, private practice professionals
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017

15. References
• Akeso Clinics. [n.d.] Does somebody you know suffer from a mental illness? Available online:
http://www.akeso.co.za/articles/uncategorised/does-somebody-you-know-suffer-from-a-mental-illness
• Ellard, J. 2016. 4 Ways to Mindfully Prevent Office Burnout. Available online: https://www.mindful.org/4-ways-to-
mindfully-prevent-office-burnout/
• Mayo Clinic Staff. 2015. Job burnout: How to spot it and how to take action. Available online:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary. [n.d.]. Health. Available online: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health
• World Health Organization. 2014. Mental Health: A state of well-being. Available online:
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/
Megan Hosking, Social Worker - July/Aug 2017