Burnout Vs. Depression - How To Tell the Difference

Summary

In this educational video, Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, explores the nuanced differences between burnout and depression. She explains that while burnout stems from professional stress and includes exhaustion, cynicism, and a reduced sense of accomplishment, depression encompasses both mental and physical changes, affecting pleasure in all aspects of life. Dr. Marks emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the two for proper treatment, suggesting that addressing the root causes of burnout, such as work demands and personal fit, is crucial for recovery, whereas depression may require medical intervention.

Takeaways

• 🔑 Burnout and depression have overlapping feelings but are distinct; burnout is often work-related, while depression is a broader mental health condition.
• 📝 Burnout is characterized by three main components: exhaustion, cynicism, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment or inefficacy.
• 🌀 Depression involves both mental and physical symptoms, such as changes in appetite, sleep, and energy levels, and requires five out of nine specific symptoms for a major depressive episode.
• 🧘 Depersonalization is a key feature of burnout, where individuals feel detached from themselves and their surroundings, unlike in depression where it's not a prominent feature.
• 🏖 One way to differentiate between burnout and depression is the response to a break from work or a vacation; burnout symptoms often improve with rest, while depression symptoms persist.
• 🌱 Early stages of burnout can be relieved by time off, but if not addressed, it can progress to depression, especially in individuals with a history or predisposition to depression.
• 🤔 Depression is not necessarily a result of negative life events; it can occur independently, whereas burnout is typically a response to prolonged stress.
• 💔 In depression, feelings of self-loathing and worthlessness are generalized, whereas in burnout, self-esteem is usually preserved with any feelings of worthlessness being work-related.
• 🛠 The treatment for burnout does not involve antidepressants but addressing the work-related stressors and improving job/person fit.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Self-help interventions for burnout include setting time boundaries, prioritizing sleep, exercising, and practicing mindfulness or meditation to manage stress.
• ❓ Distinguishing between burnout and depression is crucial for proper treatment; persistent feelings of hopelessness that do not improve with rest may indicate depression and require medical consultation.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Dr. Tracey Marks' channel?

Dr. Tracey Marks' channel focuses on mental health education and self-improvement.

How is burnout generally defined and what are its three components?

Burnout is generally defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Its three components are exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.

What are the nine symptoms of depression and how many are needed to be considered as having a major depressive episode?

The nine symptoms of depression include both mental and physical changes. To be considered as having a major depressive episode, a person must exhibit five or more of these symptoms.

How does depersonalization manifest in the context of burnout?

Depersonalization in burnout is the experience of feeling detached from oneself, as if one is just observing their life rather than actively participating in it.

What is the key difference between depersonalization in burnout and depression?

In burnout, depersonalization is a prominent feature and is usually related to work stress, whereas in depression, depersonalization may occur but is not a prominent feature due to the presence of many other symptoms.

What is the main characteristic of the reduced sense of personal accomplishment in burnout?

The reduced sense of personal accomplishment in burnout is characterized by a feeling of inefficacy, where one feels like they are just going through the motions without any sense of achievement or fulfillment.

How can the difference between depression and burnout be discerned in terms of response to a break from work?

With depression, a person typically has trouble finding pleasure in activities they once enjoyed, even in a new setting. In contrast, a person with burnout may feel rejuvenated and relaxed during a break from work, such as a vacation.

Can burnout lead to depression and what are the implications of this progression?

Yes, burnout can progress to depression, especially in individuals who have previously been depressed or are prone to developing depression. This progression can have serious negative consequences on one's mental health.

What are some self-help interventions that can help reduce burnout?

Self-help interventions to reduce burnout include setting time boundaries, prioritizing sleep, exercising regularly, and incorporating meditation or mindfulness practices into daily routine.

Why is it important to distinguish between burnout and depression in terms of treatment?

It is important to distinguish between burnout and depression because the treatment approaches differ. Burnout does not typically require antidepressant medication but rather addressing the factors that led to burnout, such as work stress and personal satisfaction.

What is the role of Christina Maslach in burnout research and what does she suggest about the causes of burnout?

Christina Maslach is a pioneer in burnout research. She suggests that burnout is the erosion of engagement with one's job, often resulting from a poor job/person fit where the individual's character and temperament do not align well with the demands and culture of the workplace.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Understanding Burnout vs. Depression

Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, discusses the differences between burnout and depression. Burnout is often associated with professional stress and has three main components: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Depression, on the other hand, involves both mental and physical changes, requiring five out of nine symptoms to be considered a major depressive episode. Symptoms include changes in appetite, sleep, and energy levels. Burnout leads to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, feeling detached from oneself, while depression involves a loss of pleasure in activities and feelings of worthlessness. The video differentiates the two by noting that burnout is closely tied to work stress and can be alleviated by a break, whereas depression is more pervasive and not necessarily linked to external circumstances. Dr. Marks also mentions that burnout can progress to depression, especially in those predisposed to it.

05:02

🔧 Addressing Burnout: Causes and Solutions

Christina Maslach's research on burnout is highlighted, defining it as the erosion of engagement with one's job. Burnout can result from a poor fit between an individual's character and the demands of their workplace. The video suggests that reducing burnout involves changing either the individual or the environment. Self-help interventions include setting time boundaries, prioritizing sleep, exercising, and practicing meditation. These methods aim to help individuals cope better with their work setting. However, if these changes are insufficient, considering a change in job or work environment might be necessary. The video emphasizes the importance of addressing burnout and depression due to their negative consequences on health. It advises seeking medical help if feelings of hopelessness persist, even after taking a break from work.

Keywords

💡Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is often related to one's professional life and is characterized by three components: exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy. In the video, burnout is discussed in contrast to depression, highlighting that it can lead to a similar feeling of being overwhelmed but is primarily work-related and can be alleviated by reducing work demands or taking a break.

💡Depression

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, and a decrease in energy. The video script mentions that depression involves both mental and physical changes, such as changes in appetite, sleep, and energy levels. It's distinguished from burnout in that it is not solely work-related and may not improve with a change in environment or workload.

💡Exhaustion

Exhaustion refers to a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue. In the context of the video, it is one of the three components of burnout, indicating a deep sense of being drained, which can be a response to prolonged stress at work.

💡Cynicism

Cynicism, in the script, is described as a negative response to one's job and others around them, which is part of the burnout experience. It reflects a loss of idealism or a negative attitude towards one's work environment and can be a sign of emotional detachment.

💡Inefficacy

Inefficacy is the feeling of being ineffective or that one's efforts do not lead to meaningful outcomes. The video explains it as a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, which is a key aspect of burnout where individuals feel their work is not fulfilling or valuable.

💡Depersonalization

Depersonalization is the experience of feeling detached from oneself, as if one is observing their life rather than living it. The script mentions it as a prominent feature of burnout, where individuals may feel like they are just going through the motions without truly engaging in their daily activities.

💡Pleasure

Pleasure, in the video, is discussed in the context of distinguishing between burnout and depression. It refers to the ability to derive enjoyment from activities that one typically finds satisfying. The script explains that individuals with depression have trouble finding pleasure in any setting, unlike those with burnout whose exhaustion is more context-specific.

💡Self-loathing

Self-loathing is a deep sense of self-hatred or worthlessness. The video script contrasts this feeling in depression, where it is generalized and pervasive, with burnout, where self-esteem is usually preserved and feelings of worthlessness, if present, are typically limited to one's work performance.

💡Personal accomplishment

Personal accomplishment refers to the sense of achievement or success in one's endeavors. The video script uses this term to describe the reduced sense of personal accomplishment in burnout, where individuals feel unfulfilled by their work despite putting in effort.

💡Stress

Stress is a physical and emotional response to demanding or threatening situations. In the video, stress is identified as a key factor in burnout, causing emotional exhaustion and cynicism, especially when work demands exceed an individual's capacity to cope.

💡Mental health

Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The video script addresses mental health education as a means to understand and differentiate between burnout and depression, which are both significant aspects of an individual's mental health.

Highlights

Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, discusses the difference between burnout and depression.

Burnout is associated with professional stress and has three components: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.

Depression involves both mental and physical changes, requiring five out of nine symptoms for a major depressive episode.

Depersonalization, feeling detached from oneself, is a prominent feature in burnout but not in depression.

Depression can persist regardless of external circumstances, unlike burnout which is tied to work stress.

A break from work can rejuvenate someone experiencing burnout but not necessarily someone with depression.

Early stages of burnout can lead to depression, especially for those previously affected or prone to depression.

Depression is characterized by self-loathing and worthlessness, while burnout preserves self-esteem except in relation to work.

Distinguishing burnout from depression is crucial for appropriate treatment without unnecessary medication.

Christina Maslach's research identifies burnout as the erosion of engagement with one's job due to poor fit.

Burnout can be reduced by changing the individual's coping mechanisms or the work environment.

Setting time boundaries and not being instantly available can help prevent burnout.

Prioritizing sleep, exercise, and meditation are self-help interventions to combat stress and burnout.

Sometimes, changing jobs or environments is necessary to address burnout effectively.

Long-term burnout and depression can have severe negative consequences on physical and mental health.

Dr. Marks suggests consulting a doctor or therapist if experiencing general hopelessness that doesn't improve with rest.

The video concludes with a reminder to check out the depression playlist for more information on different aspects of depression.

Transcripts

Burnout versus depression, how do you tell the difference?

That's what I'm talking about today.

I'm Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist,

and this channel is about mental health education

and self improvement.

If you don't wanna miss a video, click subscribe

and the notification bell.

Burnout is usually thought of as something

that happens professionally and caused by work stress,

but the way it makes you feel can feel

very similar to depression.

A common definition is that it has three components to it:

exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.

Let's look at the two side-by-side.

Here are the nine symptoms of depression.

It takes five of them to be considered as having

a major depressive episode.

So as you can see with depression,

you have both mental and physical changes.

It's more than just thinking, I hate my life.

But it includes physical changes in the way

your body functions, like with your appetite,

your sleep and your energy level.

With burnout, you get emotional exhaustion

in response to a prolonged stress.

You get depersonalization or cynicism as a negative response

to your job and others around you.

I talked about depersonalization in a previous video

that I'll link in the description and I'll link

in the corner of this video, but depersonalization

is the experience of feeling detached from yourself.

It can seem like you're just observing yourself

in the world, and you're not really inside of yourself.

For the person who's burned out,

you can feel like you're just going

through the motions everyday,

and you're not really living it.

Now, a person who's depressed can have

depersonalization experiences, but they're gonna,

there's so much else going on that the depersonalization

is not a prominent feature, but with burnout,

it's a prominent feature and it's usually related

to the stress in your work, or the demands of your work,

or even the demands of your home life.

And the last feature of burnout is a reduced sense

of personal accomplishment, and it's what I called earlier,

is the inefficacy.

It's like you're just chugging along, turning out work,

and doing all the things everyone wants you to do,

but you're just not getting anything out of it.

What's the point?

One of the ways to tell the difference between depression

and burnout is that with depression,

you usually have trouble getting pleasure from any

of the things that normally made you feel good before,

and this is an any setting,

so a person in a deep depression can be flown

to an exotic island, and with their own lounge chair,

and that person can sit there and still feel miserable,

whereas, with burnout, the sense of exhaustion,

stress and dissatisfaction is closely connected

to the stress so you can take that person

and say, hey, we've made arrangements for someone

to take over all of your work,

and we're gonna fly you off to Bora Bora for a week,

and when you get back, you'll have a clean slate.

There will be no work that's piled up,

because Jane over there is gonna take care

of all of your work and she's not gonna get mad about it,

and you're gonna have this whole week paid for.

Now, you may say, well, who wouldn't love that?

Well, with the depressed person, none of that stuff matters.

The darkness is still in your head, so,

but the burned out person can go on that kind of trip,

sit in the lounge chair,

and be completely rejuvenated and relaxed.

In fact, often, people who are in the early stages

of burnout can have a complete relief of their symptoms

on the weekends, if they're not working.

But then, they can have the Sunday evening dread.

Now I mention the early stages of burnout.

People who are burned out can become depressed.

It's not as though you can only have one or the other,

but it can start as burnout and progress to depression,

especially if you're someone who's previously been depressed

in the past, or you're prone to developing a depression

independent of any of your circumstances.

Depression doesn't have to be the result

of something bad happening; it can just be its own thing

without any negative situations causing it.

Another way to tell the difference between depression

and burnout is that with depression,

you can have feelings of self loathing and worthlessness

that are pretty much generalized,

but with burnout, your self esteem is usually preserved

but if you do have any feelings of worthlessness,

it's usually only connected to your value and in your work,

and it's not to your overall value.

Why does it matter to distinguish burnout from depression?

If a person's burned out but not depressed,

they don't need to be treated

with antidepressant medication.

The way to address the burnout is to address the factors

that led to the burnout.

So that leads to the question of why do people

get burned out in the first place?

Christina Maslach pioneered the research on burnout,

and I have one of her articles in the reference section

of the description.

She called burnout the erosion of engagement with your job.

When there's a poor job/person fit, you're less likely

to cope with the stress of your workplace.

In other words, when your character and your temperament

don't match well with the demands of, and the culture

of your workplace, you can become burned out

when the demands of work outstrip your ability

to compensate for these things

that aren't clicking well for you.

So it's not just a matter of having a lot

of work to do, or being in a stressful environment.

People can hold up well under great amounts of stress

if they're feeling personal satisfaction from their work.

The way to reduce burnout is to change the individual

or to change the environment.

You don't have a lot of control over your environment

unless you're self employed, so then the focus becomes

learning the different ways to cope with the work setting.

How you change yourself to better adapt

to your work environment is going to be an individual thing,

but here's some general ideas.

For example, setting time boundaries.

Don't allow yourself to be infinitely available to people.

We've developed the expectation that if you text

or email someone, you should get an instant answer.

But we trained people to believe this

by instantly responding, but suppose you check

your messages four times a day in batches.

The people who reach out to you will come to expect you

to respond in a more extended period of time,

and stop expecting an instant response.

If you're always allowing yourself

to be instantly available,

you're never giving your mind a chance to unwind,

and an overactive mind leads to stress, anxiety and burnout.

Some other self help interventions would be things

like prioritizing your sleep and making sure

you get seven to nine hours.

If you're always sacrificing sleep

because you're working late, you become inefficient

because of the sleep deprivation, and then that inefficiency

makes you need to work longer hours,

because you're not thinking as quickly.

Taking time to exercise also helps relieve stress

and improve your mood.

Taking 10 minutes in the middle of the day to decompress

with meditation can go a long way in recharging

and rebooting your mental energy.

Apps like Headspace are great for helping you

be able to do that in a guided fashion.

Now all these things are ways to change you,

but sometimes, changing you isn't the final solution.

You may need to take a hard look at whether or not

your job is really a good fit for you.

Can you imagine this level of work

for another five, 10 or 15 years?

You may say, well, I have to work.

Of course, most people have to work,

maybe the change, though, is a matter of changing

your work environment or finding a different company

that does similar work.

Maybe it's similar work but in a different industry,

and I know these aren't easy answers,

but burnout and depression have negative consequences

to your body, and if they persist over a long time,

it's like trying to push a square peg into a round hole.

If you push hard and long enough, you may get that square

to go through the hole, but you'll lose the edges

of the square and it will be negatively changed

when it comes out on the other side.

If you notice that you're feeling more generally hopeless

and taking a break from work doesn't help,

then talk to your doctor.

You could start with your primary care doctor,

or you could see a therapist, to see if you're starting

to develop a depression.

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions

about this, and for more on depression,

check out my depression playlist.

I have a lot of videos there

on different aspects of depression.

See you next time.

(upbeat music)

♪ I am what I am today ♪

♪ 'Cause I did it my way ♪

♪ Nothing y'all can say ♪

♪ In this life or the next one ♪