A systems psycho-dynamic perspective on burnout

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore burnout from a systems psycho-dynamic perspective. A qualitative design, using focus groups, was used. Burnout can be seen as a phenomenon resulting from the psycho-dynamic relatedness between subsystems in the organisation. The macro system disowns and projects its unacceptable behaviour onto and into an individual with a specific valence, who identifies with the behaviour. Through counter transference, the individual experiences and contains the behaviour on behalf of the system. Coping with burnout implies that the total system will try to become aware of its projections and own its good and bad parts alike.