Job burnout is associated with dysfunctions in brain mechanisms of voluntary and involuntary attention
Open accessAbstract
Individuals with job burnout symptoms often report having cognitive difficulties, but related electrophysiological studies are scarce. We assessed the impact of burnout on performing a visual task with varying memory loads, and on involuntary attention switch to distractor sounds using scalp recordings of event-related potentials (ERPs). Task performance was comparable between burnout and control groups. The distractor sounds elicited a P3a response, which was reduced in the burnout group. This suggests burnout-related deficits in processing novel and potentially important events during task performance. In the burnout group, we also observed a decrease in working-memory related P3b responses over posterior scalp and increase over frontal areas. These results suggest that burnout is associated with deficits in cognitive control needed to monitor and update information in working memory. Successful task performance in burnout might require additional recruitment of anterior regions to compensate the decrement in posterior activity.
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Burnout in HCPs is associated with cognitive dysfunction, poor physical and mental health outcomes, and the use of more sick days.
“Extensive research shows that burnout is related to cognitive dysfunction,2 poor physical and mental health outcomes,3–6 and the use of more sick days.7”
From Being Mindful: A Long-term Investigation of an Interdisciplinary Course in Mindfulness (2019) · cites this paper as [2]
The Discussion (page not provided) links job burnout to dysfunctional cognitive-control processes, supporting the cognitive-dysfunction part of the claim. The Participants section describes Helsinki city employees and occupational-health-centre customers, not a study specifically of healthcare professionals. In the printed sentence, other citations—not this paper—are attached to health outcomes and sick days. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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References 71 · Cited by 46
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397-422.
- Authors
- Sokka, L., Leinikka, M., Korpela, J., Henelius, A., Ahonen, L., Alain, C., Alho, K., & Huotilainen, M.
- Affiliations
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FI)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Sokka, Laura
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-05
- Volume
- 117
- Pages
- 56-66
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2290212066
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 9.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Tekes (1104/10)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- burnout, involuntary attention, voluntary attention, P3a, P3b, event-related potentials, working memory, cognitive control, memory load, attentional shift
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Burnout, Professional, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Middle Aged, Psychomotor Performance, Executive Function
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