The Impact of Burnout on Human Physiology and on Operational Performance: A Prospective Study of Soldiers Enrolled in the Combat Diver Qualification Course
(from p. 201) "If little is known about the pathophysiology of burnout, even less is known about the actual impact of burnout on military operational performance. This is due to a lack of studies focused on military performance. Whether or not soldiers may feel symptoms of burnout is one thing - whether this state actually affects how they do their job is another. Within the current environment (reduced forces, increased training rates, increased deployment rates, extended tours) we believe that military personnel may be at significant risk for the development of burnout. Further, we wondered if there was a demonstrable impact of burnout on actual military performance as well as on human physiology. The present study was part of a larger investigation designed to assess the neurobiology of stress in soldiers participating in Combat Diver Qualification Training (CDQC). The portion of the study that we present here is that dealing with the assessment of burnout, HPA axis functioning and actual performance."