3.3
Work-Related Burnout

The Study’s research team used the following definition for work-related burnout:

The degree of physical and psychological fatigue and exhaustion that is perceived by the person as related to their work.

The World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) expands this definition by confirming that burnout results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, is an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition and is characterized by three dimensions:

  • feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
  • increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
  • reduced professional efficacy. 

Similarly, 55% of Alberta survey respondents and 56% of national survey respondents indicated that they have experienced work-related burnout at least once since the beginning of their career. Approximately 20% of the national survey respondents who reported having experiencing burnout rated the intensity of their burnout as high to severe. 

National survey respondent groups with the highest proportion of burnout include those who: 

  • live with a disability
  • identify as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community
  • are between the ages of 31 and 35, and for females who are younger than the age of 40

Last modified: Friday, 26 September 2025, 12:13 PM