Research results show that burnout leads to a vicious cycle in which work stress worsens.

Burnout syndrome , in which various motivations and social functions are lost due to chronic stress and a feeling of labor, is said to be mainly caused by work stress. A new paper published by a German research team points out that not only does work stress cause burnout, but burnout further exacerbates work stress and leads to a negative spiral.

Reciprocal effects between job stressors and burnout: A continuous time meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. --PsycNET
https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000304

Burnout can exacerbate work stress, further promoting a vicious circle
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/12451_ENG_HTML.php

The main symptoms of burnout are 'loss of emotions, depletion of energy, feeling of fatigue', 'being far away from work, having negative and cynical feelings about work', 'as an expert' Labor efficiency will decrease. '

According to Christian Dormann, a professor at the University of Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz , the most important symptom of burnout is a strong feeling of fatigue. This fatigue is different from the fatigue caused by normal work, and it seems that it is so strong that it cannot be improved only by the recovery stage such as evening, weekend, and vacation rest.

Dr. Christina Guthier, who studies under Professor Dormann, said, 'Some people try to build a psychological distance from their work to protect themselves from further fatigue. It keeps you away from the people involved and makes you more cynical. ' He pointed out that many of the symptoms associated with burnout may also have their roots in fatigue.

In collaboration with Professor Dormann and colleagues, Dr. Guthier conducted a meta-analysis of 48 longitudinal studies on burnout and work stress to investigate the interaction between burnout and work stress.

The total number of subjects in the study was 26,319, 44% of whom were male and the average age was 42 years. The research was conducted not only in European countries, but also in countries and regions such as Israel, the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Australia, China, and Taiwan.

As a result of the analysis, it was found that 'burnout syndrome causes the symptoms to progress slowly over time, further increasing the stress felt at work.' In other words, it seems that burnout increases stress at work and leads to a vicious cycle in which burnout worsens. The research team reports that the effect of burnout on work stress was greater than the effect of work stress on burnout.

'When we're exhausted, we generally have a diminished ability to deal with stress, and as a result, even smaller tasks can be perceived as difficult,' said Dr. Guthier. I expected the effects of burnout on stress, but the intensity of the effects was very surprising. '

Previously, it was thought that 'work stress is the driving force that causes and exacerbates burnout,' but the results of this study relativize this view. The research team argued that in order to break the vicious cycle of burnout and stress, it is important for management to provide appropriate support, such as giving employees feedback on stress and thanking them.