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This research examines the connections between occupational stress, burnout, and depression using network analysis.

April 29, 2026Psychological Medicine1 citationsOpen Access

Occupational stress, burnout, and depression: an exploration from a network analysis perspective

YQYiyuan QiaoPeking University HXH XuPeking University YLYuling LiSouth China Normal University

Key Points

This research examines the connections between occupational stress, burnout, and depression using network analysis.
Analyzed data from 1363 participants in healthcare and university through various psychological scales.
Utilized graphical Gaussian Model and directed acyclic graphs to identify key nodes and pathways.
Assessed core, bridge, and upstream nodes related to the psychological constructs.
Emotional exhaustion was identified as the core node with significant influence.
The strongest relationship was between cynicism and personal accomplishment.
Direct pathways from occupational stress to depression were confirmed, supporting the emotional dysregulation model.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress triggers psychological/physical health issues, elevating the risk of burnout and depression. This study explored the interrelationships among these constructs via network analysis (undirected/directed graphs). METHODS: A total of 1363 participants from Beijing hospitals and a university completed House and Rizzo's Work Stress Scale, Zung's Self-Report Depression Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. Graphical Gaussian Model and directed acyclic graphs (DAG) identified core/bridge/upstream nodes and causal pathways. RESULTS: Emotional exhaustion (EE) was the core node (expected influence = 2.11). The strongest edge was D11-D12 (weight = 0.46). EE, occupational stress 11, cynicism (CY), and personal accomplishment (PA) served as key bridging nodes. The network showed high stability (0.75). DAG identified upstream occupational stress 1/7/8, confirming direct occupational stress to depression pathways (emotional dysregulation model) and CY/PA mediated pathways (burnout structural theory). CONCLUSIONS: Targeted interventions on core/bridge/upstream nodes may prevent depression onset and progression in occupational settings.

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