Associations between social skills and burnout dimensions in medical residents

Abstract

Abstract Medical residency has been considered a stressful, overwhelming period, which can contribute to the development of burnout syndrome. Given the importance of interpersonal interactions for the professional practice of medicine, studies addressing protective factors against burnout focusing on social skills are needed. The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations between social skills and burnout dimensions in medical residents. A total of 305 residents were evaluated using the Inventário de Habilidades Sociais (Social Skills Inventory) and the Inventário da Síndrome de Burnout (Burnout Syndrome Inventory). Significant associations were found between all social skills factors and at least one burnout dimension; odds ratio results indicated a protective relationship, in which the residents with an elaborate repertoire of social skills were less likely to have indicators of burnout. Considering the fact that social skills can be learned, these results can contribute to the introduction of preventive measures.