Comparison of the burnout among medical residents before and during the pandemic

Abstract

Objective: COVID-19 pandemic was anticipated to exacerbate burnout among healthcare professionals. This study aims to compare the level of burnout syndrome in medical residents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify potential risk factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical residents from three different university hospitals in Turkey in March 2021, one year after the pandemic hit Turkey. Burnout is measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory which assesses three dimensions of it: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Collected data were combined and compared with the data of a previous study which was held in the same hospitals in December 2019, three months before the pandemic. Results: A total of 412 medical residents from three universities participated in this study. The mean age was 27.8±2.4 and half of them were female. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, residents have a significantly decreased feeling of personal accomplishment one year after (from 20.8±5.1 to 10.9±5, p<0.001). No significant differences in emotional exhaustion (pre: 19.0±7.6 post: 18.8±7.8) and depersonalization (pre: 7.3±4.3 post: 7.2±4.4) scores were observed. Emotional exhaustion is higher in residents who are female, have more night shifts, live with someone at the risk of severe COVID-19 and experience personal problems during COVID-19. Depersonalization increases as the age, residency year, and the number of night shifts increases and it is higher in married residents. Residents of the state university hospital feel less personal accomplishment than those of foundational universities. Conclusion: Already high pre-pandemic levels of burnout and a relative decrease in demand due to social restrictions may explain not increasing emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. However, the substantial decrease in the feeling of personal accomplishment among residents is concerning. Without immediate action, it may lead to serious consequences on human resources and the quality of health care in the short to middle term.

Letter to the Editor: Nationwide Study on Stress Perception Among Surgical Residents

“…Furthermore, residents who were in contact with COVID-19positive patients were 2.6 times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder [3], which could not only interfere with their daily life functioning but also compromise patient care due to their potential impaired technical performance and medical errors. To put this argument into perspective, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of burnout and distress rates among surgical residents during the pandemic as compared to studies before (50.4% vs. 73%) [4]. Furthermore, it was also reported that attrition rates among surgical residents are among the highest (around 20%) than residents in any other specialty, with females more likely to leave the program than males [5].…”