Quand la relation d'aide tombe malade, ou le travail du burn out

This paper focuses on the issue of professional burn out. It attempts to define this phenomenon, the underlying reasons and symptoms. It investigates the relationship between burn out and anxiety-depression, among geriatric caregivers, according to the helplessness-hopelessness theory. The quality of life of practitioners suffering from burn out appears to be significantly impaired and the published literature indicates that it may lead to deleterious consequences on the care provided to their patients. The most significant consequences of the professional burn out syndrome are also analyzed, such as: low work quality, disturbances in the doctor-patient relationship, resigning from vocational activity.