Table 1 Criteria for Exhaustion Disorder according to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare^a

A. Physical and mental symptoms of exhaustion during at last two weeks. The symptoms have developed in response to one or more identifiable stressors present for at least six months.

B. The clinical picture is dominated by markedly reduced mental energy, as manifested by reduced initiative, lack of endurance, or increased time needed for recovery after mental effort.

C. At least four of the following symptoms have been present, nearly every day, during the same 2-week period:

1. Concentration difficulties or impaired memory

2. Markedly reduced capacity to tolerate demands or to work under time pressure

3. Emotional instability or irritability

4. Sleep disturbance

5. Marked fatigability or physical weakness

6. Physical symptoms such as aches and pains, palpitations, gastrointestinal problems, vertigo, or increased sensitivity to sound

D. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in occupational, social or other important respects

E. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g. a drug abuse, a medication) or a physical illness/injury (e.g. hypothyroidism, diabetes, infectious disease).