Yeah, other people have it worse, why don't you just be happier?! I can't believe people with burnout and depression haven't thought of that novel strategy.

While certainly not definitive, I did read one study suggesting that software developers do have a higher than average suicide rate.

Just switch to what?

Slightly off topic: I saw an interesting presentation once where the presenter complained that modern day developers are expected to do open source projects in their spare time in addition to all the work on the job and ended by saying construction workers don't have to do open-source jack-hammering. It is a bit unfair.

No open source jackhammering, but their wives still expect weekend house renovation

Upstreaming patches while you work covers this a bit.

Sure, you will be a drive by coder and not every patch will land, but got the ones that do everyone wins.

many folks raise their public profile in professions by donating time to causes - builders donating free rehab work in low-income areas or for schools/churches, accountants doing pro-bono work, etc.

Programmers get paid more. Seems pretty fair to me.

When I hire a carpenter for some building work, I'd rather hire somebody who has built his own house, or at least renovated an old one into something homely than the guy who lives in a derelict trailer.