Adam Grant is a renowned organizational psychologist, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a New York Times bestselling author. Recently, Grant declared that burnout was a manifestation of clinical depression. However, burnout and depression represent two different conditions with distinct causes and treatments; merging the two would detract individuals from receiving the proper care they need
Burnout and depression feature different constellations of symptoms
Burnout is a stepping stone to depression, but distinct from it
- It is related specifically to the workplace, and doubles your chance of having suicidal thoughts
- Depression is a constellation of symptoms, including change of mood and interest, and can even include suicidal thoughts, whereas burnout is not and is not classified as a medical condition
Burnout and depression may require different interventions
Because the conditions have different presentations, they also often have distinct solutions.
- For burnout, the solutions are often systematic: how to design a system for the individual (if they want to) as opposed to biologic or even psychologic treatment.
Shift of Responsibility from the Workplace to the Individual
Burnout is framed by a person’s relationship with work and the circumstances surrounding his or her physical, mental, and emotional labor.
- In this sense, the workplace has the most power-and responsibility-to prevent and alleviate their workers’ burnout.
