Why we should not abandon burnout altogether

A response to a critique of activist burnout

Bibliographic Data

ID12058386
AuthorsOmar Nunarnan (0009-0005-2118-4560, York University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Publication date2026-03-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThesis Eleven (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0725-5136 • E-ISSN: 1461-7455
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/07255136261424283
OpenAlexW7135025101
LanguageEN
References cited32

Despite active conversations around activist burnout, Domonkos Sik argues that burnout is a misinterpretation of the problem underlying activists’ loss of motivation, as it shifts our attention to a group of symptoms and therapy while ignoring the structural and existential dimensions of activism. This paper argues that this critique only loosely grasps burnout through the mainstream direction of framing and solving burnout, and misrepresents activist burnout research. While Sik argues that burnout is unfit to offer critical reflections on the toll activists face in struggling for emancipation, this paper argues that this is not the case. Instead, activist burnout has been approached from various perspectives, offering insights for interventions beyond therapy

Burnout · Existentialism · Framing (construction · Mainstream · Psychological intervention · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies · Mental Health and Patient Involvement