On the depressive nature of the “burnout syndrome”: A clarification

Abstract

Burnout has in fact been associated with all the ''classical'' symptoms of depression, including the most severe (e.g., anhedonia,

A five‐sample confirmatory factor analytic study of burnout‐depression overlap

“…From a theoretical standpoint, the rationale underlying the view that burnout is not a depressive condition is unclear. Indeed, based on the well‐established finding that depressive symptoms constitute a basic response to unresolvable stress (either work‐related or not) in homo sapiens (Bianchi, Schonfeld, et al, ; Pryce et al, ; Rolls, ; Wichers, ; Willner et al, ), and assuming that burnout is a product of unresolvable job stress (Maslach et al, ; Shirom & Melamed, ), one could expect burnout to be located inside, rather than outside, the spectrum of depression (Bianchi, Schonfeld, Vandel, & Laurent, ). The logic underlying the burnout phenomenon seems to be typically depressive (for a discussion of this issue, see Bianchi, Schonfeld, et al, , pp.…”

Personal risk factors associated with burnout among psychotherapists: A systematic review of the literature

“…There has, however, been confusion over the use of the terminology “burnout,” with the term often being used interchangeably with similar constructs. In recent years, burnout has been found to have a substantial overlap with depression, and appears to share key etiological pathways (i.e., through unresolvable stress), and similar symptoms (Ahola, Hakanen, Perhoniemi, & Mutanen, ; Bianchi, Schonfeld, Vandel, & Laurent, ). Several studies indicate that the cluster of symptoms represented by burnout and depression are highly correlated, with the risk of depression increasing with severity of burnout (Ahola et al., ; Ahola et al., ; Bianchi, Boffy, Hingray, Truchot, & Laurent, ).…”

Sustaining a long career in emergency medicine: Issues for emergency physicians of all ages

“…Symptoms attributed to burnout include low mood, sleep disturbance, poor appetite, depersonalisation, disengagement and somatic manifestations such as headache and myalgia. Some of these symptoms are indistinguishable from depression . Caregivers exposed to repeated traumatic stressors may develop ‘secondary traumatisation’, a form of post‐traumatic stress disorder which may manifest as ‘compassion fatigue’.…”