Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job.

The definition of community psychiatry and related terms is attempted by reference to various authors in the field. The development of the concepts of community psychiatry in relationship to state psychiatric services is outlined.

The essentially practical approach of relating services to community need is derived from epidemiological studies and from socio-cultural studies of the communities to be served. The need for new techniques in treatment and the mobilisation of a variety of professional and social resources forces the clinical psychiatrist into a wider frame of reference.psychiatry focusing on the detection, prevention, early treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with emotional disorders and social deviance as they develop in the community rather than as encountered one-on-one, in private practice, or at larger centralized psychiatric facilities; particular emphasis is placed on the social-interpersonal-environmental factors that contribute to mental illness.

Training in community psychiatry prepares the psychiatrist to utilize a range of skills essential for effective community programmes.