The relationship between job-related burnout and depressive disorders--results from the Finnish Health 2000 Study.
BACKGROUND
Depression and burnout are common health problems in working populations today. They appear to be interrelated, and the need for their differential diagnosis has been highlighted in many reviews. We analysed the overlap of job-related burnout and depressive disorders, i.e., major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and minor depressive disorder.


METHODS
We used the population-based 'Health 2000 Study' in Finland. Our nationally representative sample comprised 3276 employees aged 30-64 years. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. Diagnoses of depressive disorders were based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.


RESULTS
Burnout and depressive disorders were clearly related. The risk of depressive disorders, especially major depressive disorder (12-month prevalence), was greater when burnout was severe. Half of the participants with severe burnout had some depressive disorder. Those with a current major depressive episode suffered from serious burnout more often than those who had suffered a major depressive episode earlier.


CONCLUSIONS
This study was cross-sectional.


CONCLUSIONS
The concepts of burnout and depression complement each other and cover partly overlapping phenomena. Depressive disorders are related to job-related burnout, particularly when it is severe. A current major depressive episode is likely to be associated with the experience of burnout. When encountering working patients, it is recommended to assess both the occurrence of burnout and of depressive disorders.
Ahola
Kirsi
K
Department of Psychology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland. kirsi.ahola@occuphealth.fi
Honkonen
Teija
T
Isometsä
Erkki
E
Kalimo
Raija
R
Nykyri
Erkki
E
Aromaa
Arpo
A
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015984:Causality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013223:Statistics as Topic