Both panic disorders and burnout are significant challenges in the workplace. However, to date knowledge in these areas has progressed in parallel and there have been few attempts to systematically connect these overlapping syndromes. The objectives of this chapter are to address this gap in the literature by addressing the following: how panic disorder symptoms can be masked under the “burnout-umbrella” meaning they can go under-the-radar, how the overlap between sub-clinical anxiety physical symptoms and panic disorder symptoms might lead to the latter remaining undiagnosed, and the extent to which burnout can contribute to experiencing panic disorder symptoms. Particularly, we will focus on professions that require high levels of emotional labor (e.g., healthcare employees, teaching professions) and which are characterized by pathological altruism, where individuals feel that they are not allowed to experience a panic attack in their work environment—and if they do, they will have to hide it. Moreover, such hiding leads to increased feelings of guilt and apathy, which in turn increases the likelihood of a depressive symptomatology to be developed. Finally, we argue that the field is hampered by the fact that employees are less likely to report the real intensity of their anxiety and stress-related symptoms.
Part of the book: The Psychology of Panic
Individuals who score high on dark personality assessments are found in managerial positions and are more likely to get promoted. Congruently, abusive and toxic leadership is still tolerated in most industries; and many aspects of toxic organizational culture are maintained over time and interventions (e.g., bullying, employee silence). There is a gap in our understanding of how positive and negative elements of individuals interact in the workplaces. We review the existing evidence on how dark personality traits might be linked with positive and negative aspects of work-life and whether this evidence can help us answer the question how do dark personality traits help individuals get ahead at work? Finally, we propose implications for practice and directions for future research.
Part of the book: Organizational Behavior