Sustainability Is Also Mental: Burnout and the Challenges of Contemporary Work - Opinion June 4, 2025
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Jun 3
- 6 min read
Title: Sustainability Is Also Mental: Burnout and the Challenges of Contemporary Work - Opinion
By Ana Letícia Ferro
*Article written in partnership with Isabella Fernanda Rodrigues Felipe, a psychologist from UNESP and a specialist in mental health and work from USP.
The Green Amazon News has the slogan “your newspaper about sustainability” - and it's not possible to talk about sustainability without considering the social component, especially in a context in which an occupational disorder has gained prominence and relevance: Burnout Syndrome.
Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an occupational disease since 2022, Burnout Syndrome has varied rates around the world: in Japan, 70% of workers are affected; in Brazil, 30%.
In the United States, 55% of the population reports high levels of stress, and in Australia, a study indicates that half of workers suffer from burnout due to prolonged stress. In Europe, the incidence is also significant: in Belgium, 67% of workers consider themselves stressed; in the United Kingdom, 70%; in Germany, 71%; and in the Netherlands, 56%. In addition, 38% of European countries recognize burnout as an occupational disease, although only Latvia formally includes it in the official list of occupational diseases.
It is important to note that data on burnout can be influenced by cultural and methodological factors and by the availability of health systems that encourage workers to seek diagnosis and treatment. In addition, political aspects, such as the formal inclusion of burnout in the list of occupational diseases, can directly impact the quantification of these cases.
While burnout is often perceived by employers as a cost factor and a reduction in productivity, workers affected by the syndrome face significant challenges in their personal and professional lives. To discuss this further, I interviewed Isabella Felipe, a psychologist, behavioral analyst, and specialist in Mental Health and Work.
TGAN: How does burnout manifest itself? What are the main symptoms and consequences of burnout?
Isabella: Burnout Syndrome is a set of symptoms that include signs of emotional exhaustion (feeling of extreme exhaustion, lack of energy), depersonalization (negative attitudes towards colleagues and the activity itself) and reduced professional achievement (feelings of incompetence and dissatisfaction with work achievements).
Symptoms include physical tiredness, muscle pain, insomnia, irritability, difficulty concentrating, among others. The consequences are manifold and can involve cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and, at the extreme, suicide. Many cases are reported in the literature in which suicide is carried out in the workplace itself, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
TGAN: What challenges can people with burnout face in their personal lives?
Isabella: Individuals with Burnout Syndrome can face social isolation, family conflicts, and difficulties in maintaining relationships. The irritability and bad mood associated with the syndrome negatively affect personal relationships, leading to distancing from friends and family.
TGAN: What can companies and employees do to prevent burnout?
Isabella: The scientific and official literature on Burnout Syndrome shows that it is more associated with professional categories that involve caring for and dealing with people, such as teachers and health professionals. In addition, there is a higher prevalence of illness in workers who are inserted in work environments that are undergoing organizational transformations, especially compulsory ones. This means that extra attention needs to be paid to these workers first and foremost.
In general, it is important for work organizations to promote a healthy and collaborative environment, with policies that encourage work-life balance, provide workers with safety and well-being, and combat excessive pressure and competitiveness. This means a huge paradigm shift from what we are currently experiencing in the employment context, since we have seen a growing uberization and precariousness of work, causing insecurity and pressure for productivity, to the extent that the preached discourse is that “your success depends only on how much you work”, without any social security guarantees and employment ties.
To put it in more practical terms, some interventions have been pointed out in the literature as being of great value. These include continuous assessment and monitoring of psychosocial factors related to work and physical and mental health and of work organization as a whole, making changes when necessary; training for managers and workers to provide knowledge about mental health in order to enable them to recognize risk situations, offer welcome and support and reduce stigma and prejudice; and individualized interventions to develop skills when needs are identified.
Workers, in turn, can adopt self-care practices, such as physical exercise, leisure time, psychotherapy, etc. Of course, this is an ideal world, far from the reality of most Brazilian workers. That's why work organizations must focus on the actions that fall to them and, at the same time, for public policies to be created to enable individual self-care practices - such as, for example, reducing working hours so that workers have more free time to look after themselves, facilitating access to free, quality physical and mental health services, among others.
TGAN: Between the recognition of Burnout as an occupational disorder and the resistance of new generations to the vision of work as we know it today, work relationships and systems must be rethought. What would you say is essential for companies to “attack” first in the current model, to improve the psychological health of employees?
Isabella: It's essential that companies re-evaluate their organizational structures, promoting a culture that values employees' mental health. This includes reducing working hours and excessive workloads, making working hours more flexible, recognizing and valuing employees and creating a work environment that favors well-being and personal fulfillment, to the detriment of the current work situation.
TGAN: Are there any studies that talk about the “loss of productivity” in reducing working hours and any that talk about the loss of productivity due to burnout? Or anything that might reinforce the idea that more decent working conditions result in GAINS, not losses?
Isabella: Contrary to popular belief, international studies show that reducing working hours does not mean a loss in productivity. On the contrary, the companies that took part in the study found gains in health and safety at work, with a reduction in cases of stress and even Burnout Syndrome. There is, of course, a debate about its disadvantages, such as increased operating costs, but with regard to mental health, it is a very attractive model.
Burnout Syndrome, in turn, can have a significant negative impact on worker productivity. A study published in the Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho (Brazilian Journal of Occupational Medicine), which evaluated the productivity of sick workers, found that among them there was a 31% loss of productivity.
TGAN: How can the work environment, thinking about the physical environment, affect the quality of life of workers at work? Can large spaces, moments of rest and spaces in contact with nature be a strategy?
Isabella: The physical working environment plays a crucial role in workers' quality of life. Spacious, organized and clean areas help to reduce stress and increase productivity. Implementing the 5S methodology, for example, promotes organization and efficiency in the workplace. In addition, exposure to nature has positive effects on mental health, such as reducing stress and improving mood. Work environments that incorporate natural elements, such as plants and green areas, can contribute to employee well-being.
This article was written based on the following reports and articles:
I. JORNAL USP. Burnout syndrome affects 30% of Brazilian workers. Journal da USP. Available at: https://jornal.usp.br/radio-usp/sindrome-de-burnout-acomete-30-dos-trabalhadores-brasileiros/. Accessed on: March 14, 2025.
II. TERRA. Brazil is the second country in the world with the most cases of burnout. Terra. Available at: https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/brasil-e-o-segundo-pais-do-mundo-com-mais-casos-de-burnout%2C866b4a934360907841316ea4d39a69ebqttgx7ir.html. Accessed on: 14 Mar. 2025.
III. FORBES. 10 countries with the highest stress levels in the world. Forbes Brazil. Available at: https://forbes.com.br/principal/2019/05/10-paises-com-maior-nivel-de-estresse-do-mundo/. Accessed on: 14 Mar. 2025.
IV. NEWS.COM.AU. Australians suffer burnout more than any other nation, new data shows. News.com.au. Available at: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/australians-suffer-burnout-more-than-any-other-nation-new-data-shows/news-story/7ff147c4dae1c842531f95347462114b. Accessed on: 14 Mar. 2025.
V. EURONEWS. These are the most stressful jobs in Europe. Euronews. Available at: https://pt.euronews.com/business/2024/09/28/sao-estes-os-empregos-mais-stressantes-da-europa. Accessed on: 14 Mar. 2025.
VI. PMC. The recognition of burnout as an occupational disease in Europe: A comparison of laws. PubMed Central. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6885602/. Accessed on: 14 Mar. 2025.
VII. MASLACH, C.; GOLDBERG, J. Prevention of burnout: new perspectives. Applied and Preventive Psychology, [s. l.], v. 7, p. 63-74, 1998.
VIII. PÊGO, F. P. L. e; PÊGO, D. R. Burnout Syndrome. Rev Bras Med Trab, São Paulo, v. 14, n. 2, p. 171-176, 2016. Available at: https://docs.bvsalud.org/biblioref/2016/09/1833/rbmt-v14n2_171-176.pdf. Accessed on: November 28, 2023.
IX. MINISTÉRIO DA SAÚDE DO BRASIL; ORGANIZAÇÃO PAN-AMERICANA DA SAÚDE/BRASIL. Doenças Relacionados ao Trabalho: Manual de Procedimentos para os Serviços de Saúde. Brasília: Editora MS, 2001. 580 p.
X. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. WHO guidelines on mental health at work. Geneva, 2022d. 117 p. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/363177/9789240053052-eng.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed on: 12 Dec. 2023.
XI. JORNAL DA USP. British research shows that reducing working hours does not affect productivity. Jornal da USP. Available at https://jornal.usp.br/campus-ribeirao-preto/pesquisa-inglesa-mostra-que-reducao-da-jornada-de-trabalho-nao-afeta-produtividade/. Accessed on: May 15, 2025
XII. GUIMARÃES, Beatriz Oliveira; SANTOS, Luana Bezerra dos; SILVA, Fernanda Caroline da. Evaluation of productivity in burnout syndrome. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho, São Paulo, v. 17, n. 1, p. 90-97, 2019. Available at: https://www.rbmt.org.br/details/90/pt-BR/avaliacao-da-produtividade-na-sindrome-de-burnout. Accessed on: May 15, 2025.
XIII. ZHANG, Zhe; CHEN, Weiyu. Workplace environment design: Impacts on employee productivity and well-being. arXiv preprint, 2020. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.04562. Accessed on: May 15, 2025.
SDGs: 3 - Healthy lives; 8 - Decent work and economic growth; 11 - Sustainable cities and communities; 12 - Sustainable production and consumption; 17 - Partnerships for development.