Defining Physician Burnout, and Differentiating Between Burnout and Depression—I

Authors

Bianchi Renzo, Université de Neuchâtel
Irvin Sam Schonfeld, CUNY Graduate CenterFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

Abstract

A redefinition of burnout as a depressive condition is called for so that the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress can be more accurately and comprehensively assessed. As research compellingly suggests, reducing the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress to the experience of burnout's dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment is mistaken in that it denies the depressive core of the syndrome referred to as “burnout.” Replacing the notion of burnout by the concept of job-induced depression would help us be more effective in the management of occupational adversity.

Comments

This work was originally published in Mayo Clinic Proceeding, available at doi:org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.07.007