Burnout in children and

adolescents
Burnout in children and adolescents | : shootingankauf - Fotolia

So far, the so-called burnout was seen exclusively in

adults. And there especially in people who are self-
employed or those in senior positions. But burnout in
children and adolescents is that even possible? How
does this manifest and what can concerned parents do?

First, the definition of the term "burnout": It refers to an

acute emotional exhaustion due to permanent or
temporary excessive demand on the child. Burnout
manifests itself in reduced productivity and may lead to
total exhaustion, apathy and some other psychosomatic
disorders. At this stage, there is also an increased risk
for any kind of dependency disorders. The treatment can
be tedious and can only be promising if the causes are
identified and replaced by new habits and behaviours.

It is important to know that within the field of science,

this burnout syndrome is not a separate, recognized
disease. It is considered to be a problem with your skills
and how you tackle your life. Therefore, not all health
insurances will cover the treatment.

Causes of burnout in children &

adolescents
Is this really burnout what we see in children and
adolescents? Experts have to deal with this question
quite frequently. First of all: Nowadays the term
"burnout" is used in an almost exaggerated way and
stands for a whole range of different physical and
mental-emotional imbalances, even in children and
adolescents. Not each of these imbalances in itself
calls for a burnout, but more of them may well add up to
a symptom.

However, before we deal more closely with those

symptoms, first we should clarify, where and what the
causes of burnout in children and adolescents are.
Basically, reasons of any burnout are an imbalance
between requirements and personal resources. The
same goes for children and adolescents. This imbalance
has various causes among young people. The most
important are:

1. Excessive demand at school

For the last year the performance pressure at schools
continuously increases. Even first-graders feel this
pressure. Depression in such young children is not
unknown anymore. Therefore, their academic
achievements drop even further, which sets a downward
spiral in motion which inevitably ends in burnout. The
school system in Germany plays a decisive role in this
issue. Over decades, this system was not fundamentally
revised and adapted to the changes in todays society.
The increased requirements of many careers are only
addressed by an earlier and earlier selection, which in
turn only increases the pressure.
Burnout in children and adolescents | : jogyx - Fotolia

For many years now, enough funding are not available

any longer. This means many children are forced to
qualify for further education already while still in
primary school. This leads to increased stress because
secretly everyone knows: Without formal education or
graduation from a higher school you have no access to
the better jobs. It is no longer surprising, that in most
primary schools, starting as early as grade two or three,
children have to learn a second language. This is
joyfully welcomed by many parents. What many do not
seem to see is, that their children end up overwhelmed.
The more subjects, the more pressure to perform
accordingly.

2. Uncertain or respectively negative future

prospects
For years now we are going through a social turmoil.
Because of all those changes there are no clear cut
prospects for the future anymore, as was the case just a
generation ago. This is especially true in the
professional arena. Grandpa stayed with the same
company, where he once started as an apprentice, for
45 years until retirement. At this time and age, that is
hardly imaginable anymore. The world is changing faster
and faster. Society lacks necessary constants, which
would provide, particularly for young people a safe and
positive outlook into their future.

And so frustration is taking a hold. Unemployment often

threatens already straight after leaving school; indeed,
a bleak prospect of a probably just as miserable life.
This is especially true for students in secondary
schools, but also increasingly for higher school
graduations as we speak.

3. Incorrect behaviour of the parents

Parents often cannot deal with the signs of burnout in
their children. They suspect an act of defiance and,
therefore, try with increasingly tougher methods to get
on top of this situation. However, little do they know
that they only make matters worse. On the other hand,
todays families are not talking enough to each other
and, in particular, problems are swept under the carpet.
Therefore, the child has no chance to express himself,
make his parents aware of his mental imbalance and is
left to his own devices. (Besides that, in this age the
child has not yet developed a language to articulate his
emotional imbalance).

4. Incorrect behaviour of teachers and other

educators
As parents and other educators, teacher interpret the
symptoms of burnout in children and adolescents often
only incorrectly. This is also because most children who
are at risk of developing depressive symptoms and
 burnout are also those children who are over-adjusted.
Those children do not stand up for themselves and
teachers often see them as the good kids and
overlook the underlying problem.

Which young people are particularly at risk to suffer

from burnout?
With the term 'burnout in children ", one thing inevitably
springs to mind: ambition and stringent will driven
parents with the aim to create child prodigies through
continuously new tasks and discipline. Those parents
do not realize that they constantly overwhelm their
children. Slowly, those children drift into a state of
burnout. Eventually, the child wont feel up to it
anymore. He will experience alternating states of
depression and aggression as well as and clearly
perceptible physical symptoms.

learning disabilities and burnout | : pegbes - Fotolia

But in reality it is quite different. Those children

described in the previous paragraph are rarely those
suffering from burnout. Simply because sooner or later
those children and young people will rebel against their
parents dictatorship which eventually will resolve in a
defiance behaviour.

Those children and youth who suffer from burnout are

usually those who ask and expect way too much of
themselves. Without any pressure from the outside.
Those are children who are willing to deliver high
performance and do in general a lot for school. The
expectations on themselves are so high that they are
unable to fulfil them. The majority of these children
come from well-off parents and generally they are
enrolled in higher schools.

Signs of burnout in children &

adolescents
Parents should always be vigilant to detect the signs of
a pending exhaustion as early as possible. These
symptoms can come various ways. The most important
ones we have put together here:

Constant fatigue
If the child is constantly tired, you hardly can get him
out of his bed in the morning and is likely to fall asleep
at school. This could be signs of chronic tiredness,
respectively the child is burned out.

Weight loss or gain

In many cases, the pending burnout goes hand in hand
with weight loss. In only a few instances weight gain
was observed. Whatever the case, whenever your child
shows sudden changes in his weight without actually
changing his eating habits within a short time, you
should pay attention and explore the reason.

Self-harm
Whenever a child or teenager engages in a self-harming
behaviour, it is a cry for help. Often this is an aggression
against himself because no longer is he able to meet
the demands he or others have put on him.

Bedwetting
Similar to self-harm, bedwetting may be a cry for help.
The child loses control of an important bodily function
because the constant and excessive control in all other
areas of his life can no longer be endured. Bedwetting
can be understood as a rebellion of the soul against the
demand of fitting into a mould.

Dropping of academic achievements

If your child was doing well in school but all of a sudden
his achievements drop within a very short period this
can be a first indicator for excessive demand, which
eventually could lead to burn out.

Isolation
The same as with the declining achievements applies if
your child all of a sudden isolates himself from his
friends or even entirely from the outside world. The self-
imposed isolation can be a wake-up call of the mind to
bring more peace and balance into his life.
What parents and educators can do
at the first sign of burnout in your
child
Since the signs of burnout are easily confused with
other symptoms, parents should be especially vigilant.
But what do you do when the first signs are already
evident? First of all, it is important to remain calm.
Panic does not help and neither will accusations and
laying blame. Find a quiet moment and talk to your
child. Respond to his statements with understanding
and provide emotional resonance.

In such cases, it is important to talk to the childs

teachers and if possible involve them into your next
steps. However, if parents and teachers feel
overwhelmed with the situation at hand, the school
psychologist should be involved. Unfortunately, over the
last 100 years, in Germany the teachers training has
hardly changed while children and societies were
subjected to significant changes. For comparison, in
Norway, just to mention one example, psychological
training is a prerequisite to even be able to train for a
teacher.

If teachers and school psychologist are still not able to

agree whether the child suffers from burnout, an
experienced psychologist should be consulted. He is
able to perform the necessary tests to diagnose a
burnout syndrome in your child correctly.

If burnout clearly is established, an appropriate

treatment can be developed. This consists of various
components (also called "interventions"). For example:
A special behavioural training, counselling sessions,
targeted social support through the childs environment,
as well as relaxation- and concentration exercises. Even
a modification in the assessment of the childs
performance, as well as the optimization of work
process, can become part of the tools to combat
burnout in children.