Occupational Stress and Burnout among Architectural Design Professionals due to the Industry’s Nature
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Abstract
Occupational stress and burnout among architectural design professionals severely challenge the common prosperity of the whole architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. While the industry's inherent nature and long-standing work practices directly and significantly contribute to this stress, prior literature has not explored this factor in depth. This research, therefore, aims to review the occupational stress and burnout in the design profession that are caused by the characteristics of the AEC industry itself. By literature review and thematic analysis, this research articulates this challenge in three main aspects, i.e., 1) the over-expectation of a design as a cure-all silver bullet, 2) heavy reliance on interdisciplinary knowledge in a temporary, fragmented organization, and 3) physical outcomes constructed by not only designers but construction stakeholders with diverse backgrounds. The results indicate that occupational stress and burnout among architects are not solely personal issues. Rather, it results from the traditional AEC project delivery process, necessitating the industry reinvigoration to resolve and ensure the industry’s promising future.
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