Beliefs about burnout

Burnout has garnered considerable attention from occupational health specialists for nearly 50 years. In this paper, we discuss three beliefs about burnout that remain ill-supported despite their popularity among researchers and their importance for burnout research. The three beliefs are the following: (a) work-related factors are the prime predictors of burnout; (b) burnout is a condition of epidemic magnitude in contemporary society; (c) burnout is not a depressive condition. As we examine these widely held views, we outline possible paths to clarification to aid future research. We close our commentary by recommending that researchers be vigilant about the risk of drawing premature conclusions about burnout.