Who coined 'burnout'?

• A. Selye
• B. Erikson
• C. Herbert Freudenberger
• D. Pearlman

Answer: (C)

Herbert Freudenberger coined the term burnout in the 1970s after observing volunteers at a New York City clinic who showed a distinct pattern of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from long-term, emotionally demanding work. He described burnout as a state beyond ordinary stress, arising from sustained involvement in helping professions. Hans Selye introduced the broader idea of stress and the general adaptation syndrome, which laid groundwork for understanding stress but did not coin burnout. Erik Erikson is known for his theory of psychosocial development, not burnout terminology. The other name on the list isn’t associated with coining the term. For added context, later work by Christina Maslach expanded the concept into a three-dimensional model—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment—still tracing back to Freudenberger’s initial observation.