Panic Disorder and Burnout in the Workplace: Review of the Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research

Abstract

Both panic disorders and burnout are significant challenges in the workplace. However, to date knowledge in these areas has progressed in parallel and there have been few attempts to systematically connect these overlapping syndromes. The objectives of this chapter are to address this gap in the literature by addressing the following: how panic disorder symptoms can be masked under the “burnout-umbrella” meaning they can go under-the-radar, how the overlap between sub-clinical anxiety physical symptoms and panic disorder symptoms might lead to the latter remaining undiagnosed, and the extent to which burnout can contribute to experiencing panic disorder symptoms. Particularly, we will focus on professions that require high levels of emotional labor (e.g., healthcare employees, teaching professions) and which are characterized by pathological altruism, where individuals feel that they are not allowed to experience a panic attack in their work environment—and if they do, they will have to hide it. Moreover, such hiding leads to increased feelings of guilt and apathy, which in turn increases the likelihood of a depressive symptomatology to be developed. Finally, we argue that the field is hampered by the fact that employees are less likely to report the real intensity of their anxiety and stress-related symptoms.