Il burn-out in oncologia: Analisi ed evidenze sperimentali di un fenomeno emergente

Therapeutical and assistential work in oncology is characterized mainly by process that entwine with the most problematical areas in human subjectivity, with painful experiences of limits and doubt with concerns about illness and death. The term "burn-out" was introduced in the social health sphere in 1974 by Freudemberger to indicate a condition of physical and emotional exhaustion found amongst workers engaged in the helping professions, and determined by the chronic emotional tension created by continuous commitment to and contact with people, their problems and suffering. The burn-out phenomenon is particularly insidious as it selectively undermines the capacity for feeling and relating to others. The Authors consider the various definitions of the phenomenon, citing recent studies appearing in the literature, with the conviction that a greater knowledge of burn-out and its prevention are strategic factors in terms of the quality of the assistance provided.