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Risk of burnout can be estimated by analysing saliva samples

Success stories: Biobanks support researchers

Risk of burnout can be estimated by analysing saliva samples

A major goal of biobanks is to support researchers with their work by collecting, handling and/or storing and providing access to human samples. Although this is not directly mentioned biobanks contribute with their work to many research projects.

At Med Uni Wien, researchers who collaborated with the BBMRI.at partner MedUni Wien Biobank, idenified new ways to analyze burnout risk from saliva samples.

Depression occupies first place in the global "disease burden". By 2030 there will be three mental illnesses in the Top 5: depression, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and alcohol addiction. Even Austria is seeing an increase in mental problems such as burnout and, since 2010, these have been the main reason for invalidity retirement.

Researchers from MedUni Vienna and the Health Insurance Agency's Health and Prevention Center have now shown that they can identify burnout by means of a simple saliva test. The hormone cortisol is the marker used for this.