Resident physician burnout and association with working conditions, psychiatric determinants, and medical errors: A cross-sectional study

by Vithawat Surawattanasakul, Penprapa Siviroj, Wuttipat Kiratipaisarl

Burnout has become a significant occupational concern for resident physicians, primarily attributed to chronic workplace stressors, inadequate work-life balance, high expectation from attending staffs, steep learning curve, and limited patient care experience. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of burnout in medical residents. This cross-sectional study was conducted online questionnaire of all specialists in a university hospital from September to October 2022. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel. The data collection encompassed information on socio-demographics, working conditions, psychiatric issues, and medical errors as potential predictive variables. To analyze the association between these factors and burnout, a confounder summary score model was employed in four separate models utilizing multivariable logistic regression. A total of 238 participants, the average age of participants was 28.1 years (SD 2.7), and 56.2% of them were female. Weekly working hours averaged 75 (SD 21.8). Burnout prevalence was 46.3%. This prevalence was characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion (57.1%) and depersonalization (36.1%), along with low levels of personal accomplishment (52.4%). Summary of association in each domain with burnout were as follow: demographic determinants, (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.80, 95% CI 1.68–4.64), working conditions (aOR 2.97, 95% CI 1.54–5.71), psychiatric determinants (aOR 2.47, 95% CI 1.77–3.45) medical errors (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.05–4.34). Medical residency training programs should provide a supportive system that actively monitors and addresses depressive symptoms. Implementing preventive measures, such as increasing pay rates, can play a role in mitigating burnout.