Graham Greene’s burnout syndrome Review article

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Maja Polikowska
Ałbena Grabowska
Bartosz Łoza

Abstract

The concept of burnout syndrome was first introduced by Herbert Freudenberger in 1974. He was inspired by Graham Greene’s novel A Burnt-Out Case published in 1960. The main character of the book, a world-famous architect, suddenly finds he no longer enjoys life. Arriving anonymously at a leper hospital-colony in Congo, he tries to escape from his life. The conclusion is that no improvement can be achieved in this way.


All criteria of burnout syndrome we diagnose nowadays are met and included in the Greene’s novel. At present, the burnout syndrome is considered one of the most important problems of modern psychiatry. Graham Greene, a brilliant writer, saw the emerging phenomenon that most people in the middle of the XX century were not able to notice yet.

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References

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