Prevalence and predictors of burnout among obstetrics and gynecology residents in Canada

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of burnout syndrome among obstetrics and gynecology residents, as well as the relationship between several demographic and work-related characteristics and the prevalence of burnout. We surveyed 143 residents in obstetrics and gynecology programs across eight provinces in Canada using an electronic survey questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human services survey. The prevalence of high emotional exhaustion was 12.6 % higher among younger than older residents and 12.4 % higher among female compared to male residents. The prevalence of high depersonalization was13.0 % higher among male versus female residents. The prevalence of high emotional exhaustion among residents who reported sufficient supervision during the night shift was significantly lower than among those who reported insufficient supervision (95 % CI −49.7, −8.6). Additionally, we found that adequate access to food during the night shift was associated with a lower prevalence of any burnout (95 % CI −31.8, −0.2). Similar associations were observed for high emotional exhaustion and high depersonalization. We also found a 22.1 % (95 % CI −60.0, 15.7) lower prevalence of emotional exhaustion among residents who work 60 h/week or less. Our results suggest decreased levels of burnout in resident physicians who reported sufficient staff supervision, adequate access to food during the night shift, and fewer working hours. Future studies should be directed to examine the effectiveness of different strategies to improve the residency training in obstetrics and gynecology.