The researchers performed multiple cross-sectional surveys of three years of US anesthesiology trainees, from their first year of clinical anesthesia training to a year after qualification. They surveyed the anesthesiologists for burnout, distress and depression.

Burnout, distress and depression were worryingly common (51%, 32% and 12% of residents), although self-reported availability of workplace resources to manage burnout & depression, and perceived work-life balance were protective, roughly halving odds of each outcome.

Having strong social supports was also associated with lower rates of depression and burnout, although not distress.

Both working more hours each week and having larger student loan debt were associated with depression and distress, although not burnout.

Females, although only making up 37% of respondents, were more likely to suffer from burnout and depression. International medical school graduates were in contrast less likely.

The take-home message...

Burnout, distress and depression are common among anesthesiology trainees and newly qualified anesthesiologists. Workplace support, efforts to maintain work-life balance, maintaining social supports and limiting working hours are modifiable factors that have protective effects.

summary

• Huaping Sun, David O Warner, Alex Macario, Yan Zhou, Deborah J Culley, and Mark T Keegan.
• From the American Board of Anesthesiology, Raleigh, North Carolina (H.S., D.O.W., A.M., Y.Z., D.J.C., M.T.K.) the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (D.O.W., M.T.K.) the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California (A.M.) the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (D.J.C.).
• Anesthesiology. 2019 Sep 1; 131 (3): 668-677.

BackgroundThis repeated cross-sectional survey study was conducted to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, burnout, distress, and depression among anesthesiology residents and first-year graduates. We hypothesized that heavy workload and student debt burden were associated with a higher risk of physician burnout, distress, and depression, and that perception of having adequate workplace resources, work-life balance, and social support were associated with a lower risk.MethodsPhysicians beginning U.S. anesthesiology residency between 2013 and 2016 were invited to take online surveys annually from their clinical anesthesia year 1 to 1 yr after residency graduation. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Physician Well-Being Index, and the Harvard Department of Psychiatry/National Depression Screening Day Scale were used to measure burnout, distress, and depression, respectively. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether self-reported demographics, personal, and professional factors were associated with the risk of burnout, distress, and depression.ResultsThe response rate was 36% (5,295 of 14,529). The prevalence of burnout, distress, and depression was 51% (2,531 of 4,966), 32% (1,575 of 4,941), and 12% (565 of 4,840), respectively. Factors associated with a lower risk of all three outcomes included respondents' perceived workplace resource availability, (odds ratio = 0.51 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.57] for burnout; 0.51 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.56] for distress; 0.52 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.60] for depression) and perceived ability to maintain work-life balance (0.61 [95% CI, 0.56 to 0.67] for burnout; 0.50 [95% CI, 0.46 to 0.55] for distress; 0.58 [95% CI, 0.51 to 0.65] for depression). A greater number of hours worked per week and a higher amount of student debt were associated with a higher risk of distress and depression, but not burnout.ConclusionsBurnout, distress, and depression are notable among anesthesiology residents. Perceived institutional support, work-life balance, strength of social support, workload, and student debt impact physician well-being.

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