Burnout as a risk factor for antidepressant treatment – a repeated measures time-to-event analysis of 2936 Danish human service workers

Abstract

Burnout is a state of emotional exhaustion, feelings of reduced personal accomplishment, and withdrawal from work thought to occur as a consequence of prolonged occupational stress. The condition is not included in the diagnostic classifications, but is considered likely to develop into depressive disorder in some cases. We examined the prospective association between burnout and antidepressant treatment, as an indicator of clinically significant mental disorder. We further investigated potential effect-modifiers of the association, to identify factors that may prevent this progression of burnout. We used questionnaire data from a three-wave study of Danish human service workers conducted during 1999-2005, linked with national register data on purchases of antidepressants (ATC: N06A). We included 4788 observations from 2936 individuals (81% women) and analysed data by Aalens additive hazards modeling, examining the risk of entering antidepressant treatment in relation to the level of work-related burnout measured by the Copenhagen Burnout inventory. As effect-modifiers we examined both sociodemographic factors and a range of psychosocial work environment factors. The level of burnout predicted antidepressant treatment. This association was modified by sex (p < 0.01). In men, high vs. intermediate burnout was associated with a 5% increased risk of antidepressant treatment per year of follow-up. This risk difference was 1% for women. Due to the sex specific patterns, we restricted effect modification analyses to women. We found no effect-modification by the examined work environment factors, though a sensitivity analysis indicated a possible stronger association in women of lower occupational position. In conclusion, burnout predicted antidepressant treatment, with a stronger association in men than women. We found no evidence of effect-modification by any of the examined psychosocial work environment factors.

The association of job demands and resources with burnout among emergency medical services professionals

“…Occupational burnout, defined as extreme physical and emotional exhaustion directly attributed to one's work, may be exhibited as disengagement or loss of commitment to the job . Individuals suffering from burnout may experience negative health effects, such as sleeplessness, depression, and hypertension . In addition to the negative clinical impacts on individuals, burnout negatively affects workplace organizations.…”

“…2 Individuals suffering from burnout may experience negative health effects, such as sleeplessness, depression, and hypertension. [3][4][5] In addition to the negative clinical impacts on individuals, burnout negatively affects workplace organizations. In general, burnout among health care providers has been linked to increased absenteeism and attrition, as well as reduced quality of care and more frequent medical errors, potentially compromising patient safety.…”

Burnout, Depression and Proactive Coping in Underground Coal Miners in Serbia - Pilot Project

“…Half of them thought that their workplace was stressful and 52% thought that their workplace was highly risky (Table 2). the core characteristic of burnout (19). The seven work-related questions address the frustration and exhaustion associated with work.…”

“…The scores for the nine questions were summed to give a total score ranging from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms. Based on the total score, patients were categorized as having minimal depression (score 0-4), mild depression (score 5-9), moderate depression (score [10][11][12][13][14], moderately severe depression (score [15][16][17][18][19] or severe depression (score 20-27).…”

The Effect of High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Occupational Stress among Health Care Workers: A Pilot Study

“…Pharmacological treatment has been used for management of psychiatric symptoms caused by acute and chronic occupational stress, such as depressed mood, anxiety, insomnia, and substance dependence 17. Non-pharmacological interventions have been used for improving coping strategies and relaxing, including cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation therapy, art therapy, as well as psychotherapy 18.…”