Abstract

While many work- and family-related causes for burnout are analyzed, the effect of social policy on burnout is rarely analyzed and thus is unclear. Social policy may be an important tool to contribute to prevent and to combat burnout, both by mitigating financial stress and by enabling recipients to actively steer their life course. Due to their indirect and long-term character, however, these effects are difficult to prove empirically. A theoretical model was developed to show the relationship between burnout and social policy. This relationship was later on empirically tested with a comparison of the Copenhagen Burnout Scale between Romanian and Swiss farmers used to show the different impacts of poor health and old age for the prevalence of burnout. To analyze the data, a multivariate analysis was applied. It can be shown that the effect of both serious illness and age on burnout prevalence is much stronger in Romania than it is in Switzerland. Further research is recommended to explain the relationship between social policy, financial situation, health, and age.