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By Sydney Sheloff

 

Defining Burnout  

“Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress” (CAMH, n.d.). While burnout is often associated with work, it is exacerbated by compounding stresses in all aspects of one’s life. Burnout has always existed, but it has been heightened by the pandemic. Work responsibilities have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but individuals and families have also had to deal with the stress of school and child care closures, fears surrounding the virus, increases in the cost of living, and many more stresses. All these factors compound and may lead people to feel helpless, emotionally drained, and unable to function. If not taken care of, burnout can morph into more serious mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression (CAMH, n.d.). 

Incidents of burnout vary greatly source-to-source, and as such we do not have reliable numbers on this phenomenon. This variation likely comes from the different ways in which different studies define and measure burnout. A study by Mental Health Research Canada found 35% of Canadians are experiencing burnout at work (MHRC, 2021). Another found that 47% of Canadian workers feel exhausted on a typical workday. Yet another study found 84% of workers at Canadian organizations with 100 or more employees are suffering from career burnout, and 34% of those workers report high or extreme levels (Moore, 2022). While the numbers themselves vary considerably, they all show that burnout is prevalent in Canadian workplaces. 

Burnout in different sectors 

Experiences of burnout varies by occupation. Folks working on the frontlines during the pandemic face considerable stress. They are dealing with the pandemic head-on as they care for patients with COVID, while dealing with staffing and hospital bed shortages. According to Mental Health Research Canada (2021), 53% of people working in health and patient care, and 66% of nurses reported experiencing burnout. Almost a fifth (17.9%) of health care workers intend to leave their job within the next three years, 63.2% of those workers want to leave due to stress or burnout (Statistics Canada, 2022). Many folks in other caring positions struggle with burnout as well. For example, 38% of people working in education and child care reported experiencing burnout (MHRC, 2021). Teachers had to quickly adapt to teaching children online with little training, and child care workers have faced precarity in the face of centre closures. Women are overrepresented in these roles, making them more vulnerable to all these issues (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2022). 

Parents working from home had to work a full day while simultaneously supporting their children in online learning. Women have had to take on more of the responsibility to manage this situation during the pandemic. In a 2022 poll, almost half (48%) of mothers stated they were at their ‘breaking point’ (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2022). In addition, having work and home in the same space blurred the boundaries between work and home life, with many people unable to “turn off” and relax at the end of the day. While reasons for and experiences of burnout vary from occupation to occupation, and situation to situation, this is an issue prevalent for almost everyone.  

Burnout by demographics 

Burnout also varies by demographics, with marginalized communities more likely to experience burnout. 41% of Black Canadians and 37% of South Asians reported experiencing burnout, compared to 17% of non-visible minorities (MHRC, 2021). Black and South Asian peoples were more likely to be working in ‘essential’ occupations such as nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (Turcotte and Savage, 2020). At the same time, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) must also contend with discrimination, feeling invalidated at work, and a pressure to do more than their coworkers (Washington, 2022). In other words, BIPOC folks working in healthcare are deemed “essential” yet continue to be treated as less-than, which has large impacts on their mental health. 

Impacts of Burnout 

Burnout has significant impacts on an individual’s work. People experiencing burnout feel dissatisfied with their jobs and achievements and miss more work (Salvagioni et al. 2017). They may face a lack of motivation and find it difficult to get tasks done, which impacts their effectiveness on the job (CAMH, n.d.). In more serious cases, affected individuals may want to leave work altogether. However, the impacts of burnout are not isolated to work, but reach into every facet of the lives of those effected. 

53% of Canadians report they are unable to reasonably balance the demands of work and personal life (MHRC). In other words, Canadians are overwhelmed with the number of responsibilities they have. They may not have the time or energy to devote to their home and family lives. Being emotionally drained is a symptom of burnout (CAMH, n.d.), so this may mean that people have a hard time connecting with loved ones and relationships can get strained. Furthermore, people simply do not have the time or energy to engage in the activities that bring them joy. 

A meta-analysis of studies about burnout found that burnout was a predicator of many physical and mental health conditions. Physical health conditions included type 2 diabetes, heart disease, prolonged fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues. Mental conditions included insomnia, depressive symptoms, and hospitalizations for mental disorders (Salvagioni et. Al. 2017). Burnout is literally making us sick.  

A Lack of Support 

Often, solutions for burnout focus on individual level self-care techniques. People experiencing burnout are told to socialize more, exercise, eat healthy foods, engage in relaxing activities, and disconnect after work (CAMH, n.d.., Dene, 2022). However, it isn’t that simple. In modern ‘hustle’ culture, taking time for oneself can make people feel worse, as they’ve been conditioned to think they should be productive all the time (Healthline, 2022). Some professions, such as nurses, work long, demanding hours and do not have the time or flexibility to engage in self-care activities. Encouraging people to take care of their own mental health downloads more responsibility onto already overworked people. What is truly needed is accessible and affordable mental health care. 

Edmontonians face several barriers to accessing mental health care. A survey from the Canadian Mental Health Association found that almost a quarter (23%) of Albertans needed help for problems with their emotions, mental health, or substance use, but did not receive it. Of those who did not receive help, 47% did not know where or how to access help, 54% could not afford it, and 26% reported their insurance would not cover it. Canadian workplaces are both creating the conditions that produce burnout, and not giving employees the resources, they need to deal with it. All Canadians, regardless of their employment status, should have access to robust mental health care. Perhaps it is time we consider folding mental health care into the universal health care system. 

 

Note: This is an excerpt from our December 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here: Microsoft Forms 

 

Resources 

Canadian Women’s Foundation (2022). The facts: Women and pandemics. https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/women-and-pandemics/  

Center for addiction and mental health (CAMH) (n.d.). Career Burnout. https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/career-burnout  

Canadian Mental Health Association (2022). Summary of Findings Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19: Round 4. https://cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Key-findings-summary-UBC-round-4-Final.pdf  

Environics Institutes (2021). Making up time: the impact of the pandemic on young adults in Canada.  

Healthline (2022). For Many People with Anxiety, Self-Care Just Doesn’t Work. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/self-care-is-hard#1  

Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) (2021). Psychological Health & Safety in Canadian Workplaces 

Moore, Dene. (2022). Worker burnout is becoming endemic and it’s everyone’s job to treat it. The Globe and Mail. Worker burnout is becoming endemic and it’s everyone’s job to treat it – The Globe and Mail 

Salvagioni, D., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PloS one, 12(10), e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781  

Statistics Canada (2022). Experiences of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, September to November 2021. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220603/dq220603a-eng.htm  

Turcotte and Savage (2020). The contribution of immigrants and population groups designated as visible minorities to nurse aide, orderly and patient service associate occupations. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00036-eng.htm 

Washington, K. (2022). Why BIPOC Employees Are Burning Out—and What People Leaders Can Do About It. Spring Health. https://springhealth.com/blog/help-bipoc-employees-reduce-burnout/  

 

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By Alejandra Hasbun, Practicum Student 

 

Income affects every aspect of a person’s life. It can alter choices in everyday decisions, for better or worse. For post-secondary students, not having enough income to meet basic needs is an extremely heavy burden to carry. Not only do they have to worry about managing the stress of school, but also about not having enough money to eat a proper meal, struggling to pay for tuition and rent, and engaging in a social life. These factors also cause time scarcity, which altogether can be so overwhelming it produces severe mental health issues for post-secondary students. 

Income affects food security 

Having a good healthy meal is strongly linked to a person being able to perform at their mental best (Firth et al., 2020). Most student diets circle around the idea of eating anything cheap and easy (Vadeboncoeur, 2015). People could argue that this is due to strict time factors, but it is also because it is the only option affordable to them. Food prices are increasing by 5 to 7 percent in 2022, making food even less accessible (Dalhousie University, 2022). Students have been struggling so much financially that they have reached out to food banks at unprecedented levels, which means they are not just looking for cheap food anymore, they are looking for food support. The University of Alberta has 200 new students requiring food bank services as of September 2022, increasing 73 percent since 2019 (Anchan, 2022). A lot of universities in Canada offer food banks for their students, which is a helpful act. However, the mere idea that a student does not have enough money to buy groceries because of how high other expenses are is outrageous. How are students expected to focus on learning when they are worried about a basic need like food? 

Income affects students with children 

People with children who study not only have to worry about sustaining themselves financially but also their families. It would be extremely hard for a person concerned about feeding their children or affording quality childcare to focus on school and manage to get good grades or stay enrolled. This will inevitably cause the overall well-being of the student to decline, and their mental health could be affected. A parent with poor mental health may struggle to provide good care for their family, which can impact the family’s overall health (Wolicki et.al., 2021). Children with no access to quality care can have an increased risk of developmental challenges, which can cause later issues in school focus and achievements (Alexander et.al., 2017). 

Income affects Social Life 

Having a healthy social life is an essential part of any human being’s life, people are wired to connect and interact with others (Penttila, 2019). Restaurants play a key role in socializing because social dining is one of the most common acts when meeting with friends. People who eat socially feel better and are closer to other people (Dunbar, 2017). If students do not have enough money to go out occasionally with friends, feelings of loneliness and isolation may increase. Now more than before, it has become a larger issue since restaurants in Canada have increased prices by over 10-15 percent, making it less accessible for students to enjoy time out with friends (Restaurants Canada, 2022). Asking students to ignore this part of their life because of a lack of income can be damaging because an active social life is important for positive well-being.  

Supports Available  

Counseling Services 

Most universities offer services to help students with their mental wellness. The University of Alberta has wellness support groups, free counseling and clinical services, peer support centers, and other programs to help students better handle the struggles of school and their personal lives (Mental Health Supports for Students, n.d.). 

While many universities offer free counselling services, the Queen’s University found only 35 percent of undergraduate students solicit help from those counseling services (Linden & Stuart, 2022). Students’ mental health is declining, as 70 percent reported feeling stressed, anxious, or isolated and 80 percent of students reported being concerned about finances (Centre of Innovation in Campus Mental Health, 2021).  

Then, why is it that students do not seek help? Most undergraduates are so overwhelmed with their responsibilities they do not have time to seek proper help. Some students might not know they have free counseling resources available, so they do not utilize them. Others believe that stress is normal as a student, so they don’t need or shouldn’t need any help (Eisenberg et.al., 2018). Some students and faculty are wondering why mental health measures are necessary, showing that people are still not aware of the issue (Mount Royal University, 2020). 

On-campus counselling centers in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions do not usually offer long-term therapy for students. If a student decides to get help beyond the initial visitation, they will be referred to an outside counseling service (Heck et. al., 2014). This becomes very challenging for the student because when trust is already built with a counselor. Having to switch therapists outside of school can be discouraging, unaffordable, and inaccessible.  

Financial Aid  

Universities offer financial aid for students, but how easy is this to obtain? Financial aid can include loans and grants, scholarships, [bursaries] and other aids (Service Canada, 2022). Loans help momentarily to get a degree and or graduate from a program, but these can have an effect after the student graduates. If the recent graduate does not get a well-paying job right after university, they can be in debt for years. A scholarship is money that does not have to be paid back. Why isn’t every student getting scholarships to pay for their education? Scholarships are based on a variety of things including GPA, athletic ability, program major, etc. (Service Canada, 2022). Scholarships, bursaries and grant applications require a lot of time to complete and there is no guarantee of being awarded. While financial aid is available, it is not accessible to all students, and it is conditional. Are universities really doing everything to help students financially?  

Action 

What can universities do to support students? Universities should have more accessible options for financial aid, options that everyone can apply for and with no strenuous process. If not, institutions and governments should implement policies to make tuition more affordable. The free counselling that schools offer often goes unnoticed and can be difficult to access, particularly for long-term needs. Counselling should be accessible long-term, as mental wellness is an ongoing process, that requires more than a momentary solution. Some universities offer more support than others, there must be more consistency so all students can have the mental health support they deserve. Students should have mental health support that is accessible, affordable, and destigmatized. Mental health and income have a strong relationship in post-secondary students; thus, institutions have a responsibility to support and develop policies and programs that alleviate financial strain.

 

Alejandra Hasbun (she/her), an international student from El Salvador, possesses a strong interest in the field of human behavior and mental health advocacy. In her spare time, her passion lies in travelling and exploring the world, immersing herself in new cultures, and gaining a different understanding of the world through meeting new people.  

 

Note: This is an excerpt from our December 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here: Microsoft Forms 

 

References: 

Alexander, C., Beckman, K., Macdonald, A., Renner, C., & Steward, M. (2017). Ready for life: A socio-economic analysis of early childhood education and care. The Conference Board of Canada. https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/3dba428b-805f-4792-9a06-743051b1b0b2/9231_Ready-for-Life_RPT.pdf 

Amy, J., Hollins, A., & Mudd, K. (2021, June 1). 5 reasons why students with depression don’t seek help. The Horizon. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://iushorizon.com/26423/opinions/5-reasons-why-students-with-depression-dont-seek-help/ 

Anchan, M. (2022, September 20). Campus food banks in Edmonton feeling the pinch of inflation as demand increases. CBC. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/food-banks-canada-data-suggests-albertans-using-food-banks-more-than-ever-before-1.6631694 

Centre of Innovation in Campus Mental Health institutions. (2021, June). The impact of COVID-19 on post-secondary https://campusmentalhealth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CICMH_COVID-19_Impact_Infosheet_EN.pdf  

Chatterjee, A., & Chatterjee, A. (2020, June). Managing through uncertain times: A study to understand the effects of conducting socio-academic life online during COVID-19. Independent Research, San Jose, California. https://psyarxiv.com/vcbrw/download?format=pdf 

Dalhousie University. (2022). Canada’s Food Price Report 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/canada-s-food-price-report-2022.html 

Dunbar, R. I. M. (2017, March 11). Breaking Bread: The Functions of Social Eating. PubMed Central. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6979515/  

Eisenberg, D., Golberstein, E., & Gollust, S. (2018). Help-Seeking and Access to Mental Health Care in a University Student Population. Medical Care. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~daneis/papers/hmpapers/help-seeking%20–%20MC%202007.pdf 

Firth, J., Gangwisch, J. E., Borsini, A., Wootton, R. E., & Mayer, E. A. (2020, June 29). Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? NCBI. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7322666/ Penttila, N. (2019, November 13). In Sync: How Humans are Hard-Wired for Social. . . Dana Foundation. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://dana.org/article/in-sync-how-humans-are-hard-wired-for-social-relationships/ 

Heck, E., Jaworska, N., DeSomma, E., Dhoopar, A. S., MacMaster, F. P., Dewey, D., & MacQueen, G. (2014, May). A Survey of Mental Health Services at Post-Secondary Institutions in Alberta. NCBI, PubMed Central. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079139/ 

Linden, B., & Stuart, H. (2022, July 5). Canadian Post-Secondary Student Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Descriptive Analysis. Queen’s University. https://osf.io/4ajv6/download 

Mount Royal University. (2020, August 20). Tools for Success: Models for Exemplary Student Mental Health Initiatives at Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions. https://campusmentalhealth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Tools-for-Success-Mental-Health-Toolkit.pdf  

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