The burnout syndrome seems to have become almost as widespread as an epidemic. Millions of Germans feel drained, exhausted and unmotivated. But what actually is burnout? Officially, the condition is not considered an illness in its own right since symptoms cannot be clearly defined. But up to 30% of Germans suffer from such complaints as lethargy, despondency, fatigue, a constant feeling of emptiness. The majority of sufferers believe their condition to be caused by increasing levels of stress at the workplace. And they have a point. Although stress is a system that guarantees man’s survival, it can cause severe mental and physical damage. Lesch’s Cosmos looks for the root causes of burnout.

BUCH UND REGIE: Birgit Tanner     KAMERA: Joachim Seck    SCHNITT: Johannes Hiroshi Nakajima     MUSIK: Felix Schneider     REDAKTION: Christiane Götz-Sobel (ZDF)