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[Calling it "Burnout" Instead of "Depression" - A Strategy to Avoid Stigma?]
Johannes Bahlmann1, Matthias C Angermeyer, Georg Schomerus
1Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Deutschland. johannes.bahlmann@unigreifswald.de
Psychiatrische Praxis
|March 6, 2013
Summary
The German public increasingly uses "burnout" for depressive episodes, but this label may reduce treatment recommendations, risking untreated depression. This trend highlights a growing public health concern regarding mental health terminology.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Public Health Research
- Sociology of Health
Context:
- Public understanding and labeling of mental health conditions are crucial for timely and appropriate treatment.
- The term "burnout" has gained popular traction, potentially overshadowing clinical diagnoses like depression.
- Understanding lay terminology is essential for public health interventions and mental healthcare access.
Purpose:
- To investigate the extent to which the German population uses "burnout" to describe depressive episodes.
- To analyze the relationship between labeling a depressive episode as "burnout" and associated stigmatizing attitudes.
- To examine how the label "burnout" influences recommended treatments for mental health conditions.
Summary:
- Representative surveys in Germany (2001, 2011) revealed a significant increase in labeling depressive episodes as "burnout" (0.3% to 10.2%).
- The label "burnout" was less frequently applied to schizophrenia and alcohol dependence.
- Compared to "depression," "burnout" was associated with reduced social distance but also fewer recommendations for psychotherapy, medication, and psychiatric consultation.
Impact:
- The increasing use of "burnout" for depressive episodes may lead to a higher proportion of untreated cases, despite reduced social stigma.
- This shift in terminology could inadvertently create barriers to accessing necessary mental healthcare services.
- Public health strategies may need to address the implications of popular mental health labels on treatment-seeking behaviors.
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