Can Burnout Turn Into Depression?

Hannah Bingler LPC, LAC.

Clinical Director

I received my Masters in Counseling from the University of Denver in 2020. I have worked in a variety of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and private practice. I use a holistic approach rooted in psychodynamic therapy. I am familiar with CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Reality Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Person-centered approaches. I am trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy and use it regularly to address issues that clients present with. I work with my clients to help them understand and address the roots of their presenting problems.

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Burnout can turn into depression if it’s left untreated. In fact, rates of burnout have rapidly increased over recent years. A new study suggests that up to 76% of people working in the US experience burnout [1]. Economic concerns, blurring of personal and professional lives, and workplace stressors are some of the reasons burnout has become more common.

Burnout can range from a short-term experience to a long-term, more serious syndrome that impacts physical and mental health. Research has shown a positive correlation between burnout and depression [2][3].

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is the “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes toward oneself and others”, according to the American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology [4]. It stems from stress due to a particular situation but can affect various areas of a person’s life.

The most common form of burnout is from work, however, caregiving, studying, and other life responsibilities can also lead to burnout. Burnout is not a medical condition but it does have real physical and emotional symptoms. These include:

Fatigue
Emotional exhaustion
Reduced sense of self worth
Increase in anger/irritability
Difficulty falling asleep/staying asleep
Changes in appetite
Headaches
Digestive problems
Disconnection from peers/projects

People typically reach burnout because of working long hours and having difficulty setting boundaries that allow them to switch off from responsibilities. They may also have high standards that make it hard for them to delegate or step back from tasks. Other simultaneous life stressors may also be at play.

Burnout that gets worse with time or goes untreated can lead to [5]:

Weight increase
Gastrointestinal issues
High cholesterol
Developing type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Respiratory problems
Early death

What Are The Differences Between Burnout and Depression?

Burnout and depression are different diagnoses. They have some overlapping symptoms but the cause, impact, and treatment for each one are not the same.

Burnout is not a formal medical diagnosis, it’s a collection of symptoms. Depression is a clinical diagnosis. Burnout is characterized by a determinable cause — e.g. being stressed because of work or an academic exam. If the stress in the environment is lowered or removed, burnout symptoms reduce or end.

Depression, on the other hand, is more complex. It normally can’t be connected to a single event and therefore recovery doesn’t happen by only removing a trigger.

The table below outlines the differences between burnout and depression:

	Burnout	Depression
Formal diagnosis	A syndrome characterized by physical, emotional or mental exhaustion	A clinical mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
Number of sufferers in the US	Up to 76% of people in the workplace	47.8 million people [6]
Symptoms	ExhaustionLack of motivationIrritabilityHeadachesStomach problemsDifficulty sleepingChanges in appetite	Ongoing low moodAnxietySpeaking slowlyChanges in weightIsolatingDifficulty sleepingSuicidal thoughts
Cause	Work stress or scenario-based stress from caregiving, studying or other responsibilities	A complex mix of biological, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors [7]
Duration	Several months to years	Weeks to years
Impact area	Tends to be concentrated on the cause area (e.g. work or school) but can extend to broader parts of life	All of life, including basic daily functioning, cognitive abilities, emotions, and personal agency
Treatment options	Reduce or eliminate stress from the cause, participate in therapy and/or take medication for symptoms	Take prescribed medication, participate in therapy like CBT and DBT, and develop self-help techniques

How Can Burnout Turn Into Depression?

Burnout and depression are different but burnout can cause symptoms of depression or a depressive episode [8]. The process is accumulative: burnout can negatively impact resilience and self-esteem, which can lead to depression [9]. Similarly, one study found that exhaustion from people experiencing burnout put them at higher risk of suicidal thoughts [10].

Notably, someone can experience burnout and depression at the same time. If a person is burned out and becomes depressed, burnout symptoms do not immediately alleviate. It’s also possible to be burned out and have depression from causes unrelated to the burnout [11].

There aren’t definitive signs that burnout may be turning into depression but these are some indicators:

Feelings of hopelessness extend beyond the cause (e.g. work) and into all aspects of life
Emotional numbness impacts daily functioning and motivation
A sense of being overwhelmed has been replaced with pervasive low mood, anxiety, and low self-esteem
Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self harm are surfacing

Anyone who is concerned about burnout or developing depression should seek medical support as soon as possible.

Ways To Prevent Burnout Developing Into Depression

Being burned out doesn’t mean that someone will become depressed. There are ways to treat burnout symptoms and lower the risk of depression.

Set Boundaries: Create designated hours to work and keep to those times. Explain to other people that you won’t be contactable outside of the hours.

Ask for Help: Therapy, speaking with family and friends or sharing with peers is essential to reduce overwhelm and potentially find unexpected solutions in your responsibilities.

Prioritize Self-Care: Get 7-9 hours every night, eat a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, and foster social connections with friends and family.

Practice Mindfulness: Meditation, breathing exercises, and dedicated moments to rebalance mentally can lower stress.

Reframe Experiences: Try to view responsibilities as growth opportunities and to celebrate small achievements to feel valued. Recognizing other people’s successes can also help.

Find Hobbies: Building a fulfilled life outside of stress scenarios reminds you that your identity is not about being burned out. Concentrate on creative tasks and new interests that you look forward to and feel rewarded by.

Professional Mental Health Care at Colorado Mental Health Services

At Colorado Mental Health Services we have a team of licensed medical professionals who offer personalized treatment for anyone experiencing depression and other mental health disorders.

Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed to deliver high-quality care to people who need flexible scheduling due to work or family commitments. Through a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatric services, we guide people as they address unresolved trauma and complex emotional challenges. Your stability and comfort is our number one priority, and we take care to operate with empathy and professionalism.

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FAQs

How do you recover from burnout?

Recovering from burnout requires a number of steps that take place over time and lead to gradual lower stress and better health. Recognizing that you’re burned out is the first step. Creating distance from stressors and prioritizing physical and mental health then has to happen. Recovery may also include attending therapy to understand the root causes of burnout and to reduce feelings of anxiety.

Some people recover from burnout within weeks, while others need months. Severe burnout may require taking time off work or away from the stress-causing responsibility, and sometimes, medication.

What is burnout depression?

‘Burnout depression’ may describe when burnout symptoms develop into depression. Depression is a clinical diagnosis, while burnout is a collection of symptoms in response to a stressor. However, burnout can increase the risk of depression, especially when burnout lowers resilience and self-esteem which can lead to depression. Exhaustion from burnout can also put people at higher risk of suicidal thoughts.

Being burned out does not mean that you will develop depression. It’s also possible to experience burnout and depression at the same time.

When does burnout become depression?

Burnout becomes depression when feelings of hopelessness extend beyond the stress-causing scenario. Other signs are when emotional numbness impacts daily functioning, when low mood and anxiety are pervasive, and when suicidal thoughts surface.

Anyone concerned about burnout becoming depression should seek medical care.

What mental illness does burnout cause?

Burnout does not cause mental illness. Burnout can increase the risk factor of developing mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. Certain symptoms of burnout are the same as symptoms for mental health disorders, and can make a person more vulnerable to developing the condition. For example, low-self esteem and resilience from burnout can lead to depressive episodes.

What is the #1 trigger for depression?

Unlike burnout, depression does not have a single trigger. Depression can develop as a result of complex biological, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Still, common reasons for depression are grief, pregnancy, loneliness, alcohol and substance use, and loneliness.

Sources

[1] Gallup Workplace (March 2020). Employee Burnout: The Biggest Myth. Gallup.com.

[2] Nunes Baptista, M. et al. (December 2022). The overlap between burnout and depression through a different lens: A multi-method study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports. Volume 10. Sciencedirect.com.

[3] Informedhealth.org. (April 2024). Depression: Learn More – What is burnout?. InformedHealth.org [Internet]. National Library of Medicine.

[4] American Psychological Association. (April 2018). APA Dictionary of Psychology. dictionary.apa.org.

[5] WebMD. (February 2026), Burnout: Symptoms and Signs. webmd.com.

[6] Gallup News. (September 2025). U.S. Depression Rate Remains Historically High. news.gallup.com.

[7] Healthline. (October 2024). Burnout or Depression? Here Is How to Know. healthline.com.

[8] Tavella, G. et al. (August 2021). Burnout: Redefining its key symptoms. Psychiatry Research. Volume 302. Sciencedirect.com.

[9] Hao, S. (March 2023). Burnout and depression of medical staff: A chain mediating model of resilience and self-esteem. Journal of Affective Disorders. Volume 325. Sciencedirect.com.

[10] Jong Oh, D. et al. (2023). Examining the links between burnout and suicidal ideation in diverse occupations. Public Mental Health. Volume 11. Frontiers.

[11] Koutsimani, P. et al. (March 2019). The Relationship Between Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Organizational Psychology. Volume 10. Frontiers.

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