Is it burnout or depression?
Burnout or depression, how do I know?
Burnout is defined by the International Classification of Diseases 11 (ICD-11) as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. It is associated with the following symptoms:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- Reduced professional efficacy
Burnout is not a medical condition as it is specific to ne environment and not pervasive across the other aspects of the sufferer’s life. If the stressors of work are better managed then burnout can disappear. See our blog on preventing burnout for more information. On the other hand, depression is a mental health condition which is linked to:
- Feelings of sadness
- Loss of interest in activities
- Withdrawal from others
- Changes to appetite: eating unhealthily, eating more or eating less
- Changes to sleep patterns: sleeping too much or too little
- Loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or helplessness
- Difficulties concentrating
- Thoughts of death or ending your own life
Both burnout and depression are common and both are preventable and treatable. The overlap between burnout and depression will be different for different people, however, some commonalities might be:
- Feeling hopeless and helpless
- Lacking in motivation
- Feeling tired
Seeking help for burnout or depression
It is quite possible for burnout to lead to depression. This may happen when burnout initially impacts your wellbeing at work and then starts to leak into other areas of your life. If you notice that the aspects such as feeling tired, unmotivated, helpless or hopeless start at work and then spread to areas such as your relationships, housework and hobbies then you may be experiencing some depressive symptoms. Ideally, your employer will support you with your difficulties around burnout so that depression is avoided. If you feel that you are experiencing symptoms of depression it is important to visit your GP to receive the recognition and support you need.
If you are experiencing burnout or depression as a result of burnout then it is important to get support. This might be from personal relationships, although it is also important to involve work and healthcare professionals. Seek support from your manger or supervisor as well as speaking to your GP or a healthcare professional within your organisation.
Burnout UK was founded by Dr Julie Hannan and provides online courses for people to overcome and prevent burnout. Courses are written by Psychologists and approved by the British Psychological Society. Courses help you identify stressors that you face in your work and home life that might be contributing to your burnout and reshape areas of your life which are depleting you by developing new strategies to support your recovery and strengthen your resilience and wellbeing for the future.
