A greater total workload makes women more vulnerable to burnout, finds study.
Women are more likely than men to find that work interferes with their home life, and consequently are more likely to burn out, finds a study (V. Blom et al. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 56, 361–366; 2014). The authors surveyed 4,446 twins in Sweden to investigate the determinants of work–home and home–work interference. Although genetic effects were minimal, they found differences in stress levels between the sexes. Lead author Victoria Blum, a psychologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, says that women typically have more home responsibilities and thus a greater total workload than men. To avoid burning out, she says, researchers need to find ways to work from home when possible and to share home-based responsibilities more evenly.
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Burnout predictors. Nature 508, 557 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7497-557b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7497-557b