Moral Burnout

Burnout is one of the blights of our time, heightened by the stresses of the geopolitical stage, the stress of 24/7 news reporting and the disruption of the global pandemic. Research shows that about 70% of people had burnout symptoms in the year 2021-22, and that it is also closely linked to feeling imposter syndrome. Burnout symptoms include increased pessimism and cynicism towards work, exhaustion and the feeling of being trapped in a job and is increasingly recognised as being linked with depression. It happens because of high stress levels and pressure at work - phycial, mental and emotional - a sense of lack of control over work and often working in a job that doesn't resonate with the person.

What is imposter syndrome? Feelings of inadequacy despite evidence of personal success, appearing as self-doubt or feelings of being a fraud. These feelings lead to stress and contribute to the likelihood of burnout. 42% of people in Asana's research found they experienced both imposter syndrome symptoms and those of burnout.

However, there is another type of burnout that is particularly relevant for people with ADHD: moral burnout. Moral burnout, or moral injury, comes from working in a negative environment, where poor behaviour and breaking of an individual's values and rules can be seen, and a sense of injustice arises. The effect can be lasting and can result in psychological, emotional and social issues such as intrusive thoughts, shame, guilt and social withdrawal.

People with ADHD (particularly innatentive type) are particularly vulnerable to moral injury, as they have an enhanced sensitivity to injustice and sense of morality both as adults and children. This means that workplaces where their sense of values and morals are infringed can become toxic and damaging to them.

For example, if a person with ADHD feels strongly about equality and fairness across all staff, but sees that there are groups treated preferntially, given special attention and opportunities over others, then this could develop into a moral injury or moral burnout. Anxiety, depression and a sense of being wronged can follow, and an association between the workplace and negativity. Without intervention, full burnout can follow.

So what should people with ADHD do if they recognise this? None of us wants to be burnt out or suffer moral injury, so it is important we work on it as soon as we reocognise it. The report by Affinity, Health at work recommends the following actions:

Individuals should seek professional help if they experience anxiety, depression or notice burnout symptoms. They should focus on the areas of the situation they can control, invest in self-care and seek support and allies among other people.
As a group, people can seek validation and support from experts external to their company; be aware of the effects of emotional contagion and even try to trigger assessments by third parties into the situation.

The pressure of dealing with this should not fall entirely to individuals, though it may be difficult to get management to change their ways if they are heavily invovled in the causes of moral injury (e.g. preferential treatment, different rules for managers, etc.). However, organisations should ensure they have an ethical standards policy in place and train leaders to be ethically oriented, authentic and responsible. Fair treatment of whistleblowers and an internal investigation procedure that all can trust are also very important to mitigate the likelihood of moral injury occurring.

If you have ADHD and are in a situation like this, reach out to find help. As ever, talking about it is important and no-one should bear the burden of it alone.

Do you have ADHD and are you in a situtation like this, or have you seen it? If so, let us now in the comments how it was and what we can all learn from it to better protect ourselves and others in the future.