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.

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