More than 30% of mayors are facing the onset of burnout, study finds

The study conducted for the Association of Mayors of France and published on Friday, indicates that more than 3% of mayors are even in a situation of “severe exhaustion”. The feeling of disappointment, fatigue, helplessness or even lack of sleep often explain burnout.

“31.4% of mayors are facing the beginnings of exhaustion”notes a study carried out for the Association of Mayors of France and published on Friday, August 30. This barometer, focusing on the mental health of mayors, warns of the fact that “3.48% of mayors are in a situation of severe exhaustion”. Researchers assure that “Women elected officials have a significantly higher risk of burnout” than men: 35% of female mayors experience a presence of exhaustion in their function (compared to 29% of men) and 3.63% of elected women are at severe risk of exhaustion (compared to 3.36% of elected men). Loneliness and isolation constitute, according to the study, aggravating factors, but not “age, nor the combination with a job”.

According to this study, burnout among local elected officials can be explained, in part, by a feeling of disappointment, fatigue, helplessness or even a lack of sleep. These emotions are “usually the result of a very invested person”note the researchers, who therefore note that the “Mayors are both very invested and very hindered”They also believe that the isolation of mayors is an aggravating factor in the risk of exhaustion.

To better understand the exhaustion of local elected officials, the researchers established a ‘stressometer’, asking mayors to give some elements generating stress and then to rate their intensity on a scale of 1 to 5. It emerged that the main ‘stressor’ of elected officials is “administrative complexity and burden”. “Mayors have to manage various areas such as urban planning, education, security and each area involves specific administrative procedures, requests for subsidies, calls for tenders”the study explains. This is in addition to other stress-inducing events, such as “the workload of the position and the lack of time”.

A ‘satisfactory’ rating of the life of an elected official was also produced using the same model, to understand which issues help to reduce the risk of burnout. Unsurprisingly, the family and friendly environment makes mayors happy. Concerning the ‘satisfactors’ more directly linked to the role of elected official, “The success of a project is the greatest source of satisfaction”followed by ceremonies or celebrations and good understanding with the municipal team and with the agents for whom he is responsible.

The researchers also say they are surprised by the level of satisfaction of the elected officials, specifying that “69.3% of mayors show satisfaction as elected officials”. “We might expect greater dissatisfaction given the public debates and the challenges that elected officials face.”raises the barometer without giving any further explanation.

The Association of Rural Mayors of France and the Amarok Observatory intend to use the conclusions of this study to set up “a system for detecting the risk of burnout” and a program to support elected officials in the event of alarming signals. “By protecting mayors, the Republic is protecting itself,” the study maintains.

This study, conducted by two researchers from the University of Montpellier, was carried out for the Association of Mayors of France in partnership with the Amarok observatory, which usually focuses on the mental health of SME bosses. It is based on 300,600 data collected from 1,120 mayors (of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants) from February 22 to March 13, then from 900 mayors from June 7 to July 11.