Burnout is the result of long-term work stress that has not been managed. It brings exhaustion, distance from your job, and a sense that you are not doing it well. To track recovery, keep a weekly note of your energy, sleep and work situation. Add a PHQ-9 or GAD-7 every two weeks. Those questionnaires do not measure burnout, but they can show if depression or anxiety symptoms are building.
What burnout is
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls burnout a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is not classified as a medical condition. The WHO's disease classification, the ICD-11, lists it as an occupational phenomenon.
The WHO definition has three parts:
- Feeling drained of energy or exhausted.
- Feeling mentally distant from your job, or negative or cynical about it.
- Feeling less effective at work.
The WHO uses the term only for work. It says burnout should not describe experiences in other areas of life. If the strain comes from caring for someone, tracking mental health while caregiving covers that situation.
Burnout and depression
Burnout and depression can look alike. The PHQ-9 asks about tiredness and sleep, and burnout can affect both. A 2017 review of studies that followed workers over time found that burnout predicted later depressive symptoms and insomnia.
The two are classified differently. The WHO does not class burnout as a medical condition. Depression is a mental health condition that a doctor can diagnose and treat.
The PHQ-9 cannot tell burnout and depression apart. A doctor can assess both. They can also check for physical causes of tiredness, such as anemia, diabetes or sleep apnea.
What to track
Take the PHQ-9 for depression symptoms, the GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms, or both. They ask about the past two weeks, so taking them every two weeks avoids overlapping answers. The guides to PHQ-9 scores and GAD-7 scores explain the ranges.
Burnout has its own questionnaires, such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 do not replace them. They track related symptoms instead.
Each week, also note:
- your energy, from 1 to 10
- how much you care about your work
- how distant or cynical you feel about it
- how well you are sleeping
- whether time off helped
- what changed at work, such as hours, workload, role, or leave
None of these numbers is a diagnosis. Together they can suggest whether the changes you make are helping.
Reading the pattern
- Better away from work, worse on return. This fits the WHO description of burnout as tied to work. It suggests the conditions behind it still need to change.
- No better after real time off. Talk to a doctor. Depression, another health problem, or burnout that needs more time could be involved.
- Slowly better after changes at work. Keep tracking. Look at the trend over months, not single weeks.
- Worse even after things changed. See a doctor. Depression or anxiety may need its own treatment.
One bad week does not undo a falling trend. Compare results from the same questionnaire taken under similar conditions.
Signs to see a doctor
- a PHQ-9 or GAD-7 score of 10 or higher that stays there across several checks
- scores that do not improve with time off or less pressure at work
- feeling worthless, or that you have failed or let people down
- low mood or loss of interest that spreads beyond work
- thoughts of being better off dead or of hurting yourself
These signs do not mean you have depression. Only a full assessment can say that. They are reasons to get one.
If you have thoughts of harming yourself, talk to someone today rather than waiting for your next score.
If you need help now. In the US, Call 988 or text 988. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Outside the US, contact your local emergency number or find support in your country.
Going back to work
Rest helps, but the WHO definition ties burnout to work stress that was not managed. If you return to the same conditions, watch your log closely. Energy that drops and scores that rise within weeks of going back suggest the cause is still there.
Changes people make include a lighter workload, clearer limits on hours, a different role, or a different job. A doctor, therapist, or occupational health service can help you plan them. If your scores improve, keep any treatment you have until you and your doctor decide to change it.