Burnout - what does that mean?

When prolonged stress becomes excessive, the soul burns out: Causes, symptoms and how to find a way out of the crisis.

Definition of

Burnout is a colloquial term for exhaustion depression. Symptoms Children and adolescents who are affected by it often withdraw, appear listless and no longer have any interest in hobbies or friends. Many complain of headaches or insomnia. Teenagers are often irritable and bad-tempered, and younger children can be characterised by a reluctance to play, increased separation anxiety or stomach ache . If such symptoms persist for weeks, the advice of a specialist is helpful, especially if talking to the child does not bring any improvement. Parent counselling centres can then help.

Difference

The symptoms associated with fatigue depression also occur in classic depression. However, the clinical pictures should not be confused: Exhaustion depression, as the name suggests, arises from exhaustion, whereas in classic depression the exhaustion is a consequence of the illness.

Figures

There is hardly any data on the frequency of burnout in children and adolescents. Adolescent psychiatrist and author Michael Schulte-Markwort estimates that around three to five per cent of all children and young people are affected, mostly teenagers. «However, there are many indications that the age limit is falling,» says Schulte-Markwort.

Susceptibility

He usually deals with performance-orientated girls who break down because of their perfectionism, says Schulte-Markwort. However, boys are also less likely to seek help: «They are often less able and willing to talk than girls.» According to the youth psychiatrist, burnout generally affects young people at grammar schools more often than their peers who attend a school with a lower performance profile. It is also known that children from divorced families have an increased risk of mental illness. Does this also apply to burnout? «Unfortunately, my findings suggest that it does,» says Schulte-Markwort. According to the adolescent psychiatrist, children from families at risk of poverty and those who have experienced bullying are also more susceptible to exhaustion depression.

The pictures for this dossier were taken by Zurich photographer Daniel Auf der Mauer. The 38-year-old regularly photographs reports and portraits for international publications such as «The New York Times» and «Der Spiegel». All the young people featured in the dossier have consented to the publication of the text and images.

Online dossier Burnout

Burnout: Wenn Eltern erschöpft und ausgebrannt sind. Doch auch Kinder und Jugendliche sind immer mehr betroffen. Ursachen, Symptome und Wege aus der Krise, lesen Sie in unserem
Burnout: when parents are exhausted and burnt out. But children and young people are also increasingly affected. You can read about the causes, symptoms and ways out of the crisis in our online dossier "Burnout.

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