What is Burnout and How Does it Differ from Depression?

Burnout has become a common term in our modern lexicon, with people using it in a broad sense to describe their general experience of stress at work. Although not classified as a medical condition with diagnostic criteria like other mental health conditions, burnout does have a specific definition based on extensive research. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout is more than just feeling bummed out or having a bad day at work; it doesn’t happen overnight. It slowly creeps up on us, albeit with some warning signs. Burnout most commonly results when there is an imbalance between the demands and resources at work, or a conflict between personal and organizational values. In particular, burnout is conceptualized as the final stage of breakdown in one’s ability to adapt to the demand/resource mismatch or values conflict. Symptoms of burnout represent not only the presence of negative emotions but also the absence of positive ones. Researchers have defined burnout as having three components (Schaufeli et al., 2009):

1. Exhaustion refers to the feelings of being emotionally drained and physically overextended, characterized by an individual's lack of energy and a low mood.
2. Cynicism refers to a distant and callous attitude toward one’s job, where a person becomes demotivated and withdraws from their work.
3. Inefficacy refers to a lack of professional efficacy, encompassing feelings of inadequacy and incompetence that are often associated with a loss of self-confidence.

In layman’s terms, people who are experiencing burnout describe this state in the following statements (Kristensen et al., 2005; Maslach et al., 1996):

• “I feel worn out at the end of the day.”
• “I am exhausted in the morning at the thought of another day at work.”
• “I don’t find my work as stimulating as before.”
• “I don’t see my job as a source of personal accomplishment.”
• “I feel that every working hour is tiring for me.”
• “I don’t have enough energy for family and friends during leisure time.”
• “My work frustrates me.”
• “I find it hard to work with clients (or co-workers).”
• “I worry about how I have treated some people at work.”
• “I think I treat some of my clients (or co-workers) with indifference.”
• “I don’t think my job gives me positive experiences.”
• “I feel weighed down by my job.”
• “I regret some of my behaviors at work.”
• “I don’t find my work rewarding.”
• “I feel I am overwhelmed by work.”
• “I feel like being sarcastic with some of my clients (or co-workers).”
• “I feel physically tired at work.”
• “I feel emotionally drained at work.”
• “I sometimes wonder how long I will be able to continue working with clients (or co-workers).”
• “I feel that I give more than what I get back when I work with clients (or co-workers).”
• “I often think that I can’t take it anymore.”
• “I tend to think less at work and do my job almost mechanically.”

The theme that emerges from these descriptions is that a burned-out worker is constantly overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. If you find yourself identifying with a lot of these experiences, then you may be dealing with burnout.

The overlap of burnout and depression has been an ongoing debate. Burnout and depression have a reciprocal relationship – burnout predicts depression, and depression may negatively influence the experience of work and generate burnout (Bianchi et al., 2015). In one study comparing burned-out and non-burned-out teachers, about 86% of the teachers identified as burned out met criteria for a provisional diagnosis of clinical depression (Schonfeld & Bianchi, 2015). This study also showed that burned-out teachers were more likely to have a history of depression and were currently being treated with antidepressants. Although burnout and depression may have some overlapping symptoms, such as mental and physical exhaustion, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and sleep and appetite changes, these are distinct entities. Burnout is work-specific, while depression pervades every realm of your life. However, if you have clinical depression, your chances of burnout at work significantly increase, and burnout in turn will make your depression worse (Chiu et al., 2015).

The key takeaway is that understanding the symptoms of burnout will help you effectively advocate for yourself when consulting a mental health professional. This is particularly relevant if you are feeling emotionally exhausted, which is one of the core components of burnout and shows the strongest link to depression (Bianchi et al., 2015). While you want to avoid getting treated for depression when dealing with burnout, at the same time, it is prudent to get depression ruled out so that you don't leave it untreated. 

To learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that promote mental health and well-being, check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Bianchi, R., Schonfeld, I. S., & Laurent, E. (2015). Burnout-depression overlap: a review. Clinical Psychology Review, 36, 28-41.

Chiu, L. Y. L., Stewart, K. Woo, C., Yatham, L. N., & Lam, R. W. (2015). The relationship between burnout and depressive symptoms in patients with depressive disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 172, 361-366.

Kristensen, T. S., Borritz, M., Villadsen, E., & Christensen, K. B. (2005). The Copenhagen burnout inventory: a new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work and Stress, 19(3), 192-207.

Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996). Maslach Burnout Inventory. (3rd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. Career Development International, 14(3), 204-220. 

Schonfeld, I. S., & Bianchi, R. (2015). Burnout and depression: two entities or one? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(1), 22-37.