Burnout is associated with a depressive interpretation style

The aim of this 188‐participant study (65% female; mean age = 40.31) was to examine whether burnout and depression are associated with similar interpretation biases in the processing of emotional information. Burnout symptoms were assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐General Survey and depressive symptoms with the 9‐item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Interpretation bias toward emotional information was examined using an amended version of the Word‐Sentence Association Paradigm (WSAP). In the WSAP, participants are asked to decide whether emotionally‐valenced words are related to ambiguous sentences. Burnout and depression were each associated with a higher endorsement of negative interpretations and a higher ratio of negative interpretations to positive interpretations. Negative word endorsement and positive word endorsement interacted in such a way that negative word endorsement was predictive of burnout and depression only when positive word endorsement levels were relatively low. Our findings suggest that burnout and depression are associated with similar alterations in the interpretation of ambiguous information. This study supports the view that burned out individuals perceive the world with “depressive glasses.” Cognitive bias modification techniques employed in the treatment of depressive conditions may constitute relevant therapeutic options for “burned out” individuals.