Crisis causes 'burnout'   

By The Holland Times Monday 10 May 2010, 11:05

Since the beginning of the economic crisis, the number of people suffering from 'burnout' has increased. This was revealed by the Dutch Centre for Occupational Disease (NCvB) on Monday.

The number of reported cases of 'burnout' increased by 23 percent in 2009 compared with the year before, according to NCvB.

Dutch employees in healthcare, education, and labour are the most prone to the mental illness that is caused by high levels of pressure and stress.

Pascale Le Blanc, a university teacher, points out that people became uncertain during the economic crisis, feeding stress. Also, the taboo on mental illness has slowly disintegrated, leading more people to accept their difficulties and seek help.

Last year, NCvB reported ten thousand reports of occupational disease in the country. That was three thousand more than reported in 2008.