A new study from Norway’s NTNU challenges the common view that burnout stems mainly from work. Researchers found that most people with burnout attribute their exhaustion to everyday life stressors, not just job-related demands. The findings prompt both employers and individuals to rethink how burnout is addressed in Thailand and beyond.
The study, which followed 813 Norwegian workers, revealed that only 27.7 percent identified their job as the primary cause of burnout. Instead, many participants cited pressures from family, finances, health, and personal worries. This broader perspective aligns with growing international evidence that burnout is a multifaceted condition, not solely a workplace issue. According to researchers, burnout can be described as depressive stress in life rather than purely a job problem.
For Thai audiences facing rising stress in private and public sectors, these results matter. Thai culture often values hard work and filial duty, which can blur lines between work, family, and personal time. The new findings call for a wider conversation about mental health and well-being that includes home life, financial security, and social expectations.
While work factors like job security and colleague support influence overall stress, they were not the main triggers for burnout in the NTNU study. This echoes international research suggesting that life outside work plays a major role. As one psychologist at a Bangkok hospital notes, patients frequently blame work, but deeper anxieties about family, money, or self-worth are equally impactful.
In Thailand, burnout is increasingly common in big cities where multitasking across generations, rising living costs, and the pressure to maintain social harmony intersect. The NTNU results suggest a need for holistic wellness strategies that address life-wide stress, not only workplace conditions. Public health initiatives, including mental health hotlines, have begun in Thailand, yet prevention must consider stress from all life domains.
Historically, burnout emerged from work by Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s among caregivers. Since then, the term has broadened, but the emphasis has often remained on the workplace. In Thailand, frontline workers across education, health care, and corporate sectors report elevated chronic stress as digital technologies blur boundaries between work and home.
Beyond Norway, other international studies also point to non-work factors as major burnout contributors. Researchers advocate exploring how personality traits—such as inherent anxiety—affect vulnerability to energy-draining worries, independent of job environments. This approach could improve prevention and support for those most at risk in Thailand.
For Thai communities, acknowledging burnout’s broader roots can reduce stigma and broaden access to care. Traditional supports—such as close family networks and mindfulness practices rooted in local culture—can help, but unspoken expectations and social pressure may also contribute to stress. A mental health expert at a leading Thai university emphasizes that understanding burnout as a life-wide issue enables more comprehensive help, including community and family-based support.
Looking ahead, Thailand’s evolving economy and social fabric may bring new stressors, from rapid urbanization to the impact of digital life. Authorities should maintain focus on job security and workplace support while expanding access to mental health resources that address life outside work. Integrated approaches that respect Thai cultural norms—such as community-based programs and spiritual guidance—can strengthen resilience.
Individuals can safeguard well-being by establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time, seeking professional mental health support when needed, and practicing stress management techniques such as mindfulness or cognitive-behavioral strategies. Employers and policymakers should implement inclusive policies that recognize life-wide stress and provide flexible, culturally sensitive support systems.
The key takeaway for Thai readers is clear: fatigue and despair are not solely occupational issues. By embracing a broader understanding of burnout and drawing on both traditional and evidence-based coping strategies, Thais can build greater resilience across work and life.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, seek support beyond the workplace—within family, among friends, with health professionals, and in community networks. Open dialogue and collective action can reduce barriers to mental health and help anyone thrive, regardless of their role.
Insight into the study is based on research conducted by NTNU researchers, with context provided by global health and occupational psychology perspectives. Public health guidance from Thailand’s health authorities also informs the discussion of mental wellness strategies.