Professional burnout syndrome in surgical residents: 2020 Colombian cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction. Burnout syndrome includes a state of physical and mental exhaustion related to work activities. Medical residency trainees, especially surgical specialties, may experience adverse mental health and job performance, with a high prevalence of the syndrome. This work aims to compare the published results of the national and international prevalence of professional burnout in surgical residents, with those obtained in the present study. Methods. A national survey about burnout was carried out in general surgery residents in the twenty active general surgery programs in Colombia, during the period from June to July 2020 through an anonymous online survey. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI) questionnaire. Total scores were calculated for the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment subscales, as well as the frequency of the syndrome according to demographic variables. Results. 302 residents participated in the study; 20.2% presented BS, 43.7% presented emotional exhaustion, 23.2% depersonalization and 45% low personal fulfillment. When comparing the group with attrition versus the group without attrition, no statistically significant differences were found in any of the demographic variables. Conclusions. The percentage of burnout among general surgery residents, although lower than that found in other national or international studies, is worrisome. Given the possible impact of this on medical practice and patient outcomes, it is necessary to continue describing the appearance of the syndrome in trainees, understand its development and thus create specific interventions to control it.

Introducción. El síndrome de desgaste profesional incluye un estado de agotamiento físico y mental relacionado con las actividades del trabajo. El personal en formación de residencias médicas puede experimentar una salud mental y un rendimiento laboral adverso, con una alta prevalencia del síndrome. El objetivo de este trabajo fue comparar los resultados publicados del desgaste profesional en residentes de cirugía con los obtenidos en el presente estudio. Métodos. Se hizo una encuesta anónima en línea a los residentes de los veinte programas de Cirugía general en Colombia, entre junio y julio del 2020. El desgaste profesional se evaluó con el cuestionario de Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI). Se calcularon las puntuaciones para las subescalas de agotamiento emocional, despersonalización y realización personal, así como la frecuencia del síndrome según las variables demográficas. Resultados. Participaron 302 residentes en el estudio; el 20,2 % presentaron síndrome de desgaste profesional, 43,7 % agotamiento emocional, 23,2 % despersonalización y 45 % baja realización personal. Al comparar el grupo con desgaste frente al grupo sin desgaste, no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las variables demográficas