Zwischen existentieller Sinnerfüllung und Burnout: eine empirische Studie aus existenzanalytischer Perspektive

The phenomenon of burnout is interpreted on the background of psychoanalytic and socialpsychological perspectives from an existential analytic point of view. The basic condition of its origin is seen as a nonexistential attitude towards life, stemming from a deficit in personal-existential fundamental supports. A person in this position longs for a fulfilled life but has no orientation in the most basic existential premises. Because of an illusionary sense of purpose and sham, interpersonal skills based on motives outside of oneself, a subjective neediness emerges which results further in a reductionistic, merely task-oriented life philosophy. This attitude lacks the deep-rooted affirmation that guides a person to do and to be. The presented empirical results for 105 teachers indicate a clear correlation between deficit of meaning in life and all aspects of burnout. They confirm the hypothesis of existential analysis and show a significant correlation between burnout and attributes of personality and psychosomatic reactions.