Freudenberger and the Origins of Burnout (1974)
burnout · Staff Burn-Out, Journal of Social Issues (1974); Burn-Out: The High Cost of High Achievement, Anchor Press/Doubleday (1980) · 1974
Freudenberger introduced "burnout" to the research lexicon in 1974, after watching volunteers at a free clinic in the East Village collapse into emotional depletion, cynicism, and loss of motivation. He framed it not as a stress response, but as a response to **frustration** and a **demand for perfectionism**.
Authors
Herbert J. Freudenberger
Research lens
Freudenberger introduced "burnout" to the research lexicon in 1974, after watching volunteers at a free clinic in the East Village collapse into emotional depletion, cynicism, and loss of motivation. He framed it not as a stress response, but as a response to **frustration** and a **demand for perfectionism**.
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