Unraveling the relationship between burnout and depression: a systematic review

Abstract

The relationship between burnout and depression has been a topic of discussion for recent decades. To date, no conclusive answer has been given to the question of whether burnout is different from a depressive disorder. The aim was to clarify which are the similarities and differences between both entities. A systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted. A total of 56 studies from the past five years were retrieved from Web of Science, PsycInfo and Semantic Scholar. Included studies measured and/or analyzed both burnout and depression in a quantitative and/or qualitative manner. Overall, burnout significantly overlaps with depression. Implications of these findings for health and research are discussed.