Abstract
Background: Work-related stress and burnout among medical practitioners has been a frequently studied phenomenon. It reduces work efficiency and productivity and also has negative impacts on patient care. This study assessed the extent of work-related stress and burnout and the reasons behind this burnout among the Internal Medicine and Pulmonology residents of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among the postgraduate trainees of Internal Medicine and Pulmonology in Mohi-uddin Islamic Medical College and Hospital, Mirpur, Azad Kahsmir. Out of the 70 trainees, 64 completed the study (response rate: 85.3%). The trainees recorded their sociodemographic profile including age, gender, marital status, name of the department, and year of training. Work-related stress and burnout were assessed using a 28-question-based Burnout Questionnaire adapted from the American Welfare Association. Reasons of burnout among the postgraduate trainees were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 21.Results: There were 45 men (70.3%) and 19 women (29.6%). The mean age of the trainees was 29.25 ± 2.87 years. No stress and professional burnout was reported in 20.3% residents; 29.6% residents had stress but no professional burnout; 23.4% residents had fair chances of burnout; 14% residents had early burnout; and 12.5% residents had advanced burnout. Higher grades of burnout are more common among male residents, those who are married, and those in early years of postgraduate training. Common reasons of work-related burnout were reported to be long work hours (68.75%), decreased job satisfaction (54.7%), and lack of workplace facilities (45.3%).Conclusion: Most of the residents in Mirpur have work-related stress and are at the verge of burning out. Large-scale studies, assessing more correlates, must be conducted in this region to give a better understanding of this phenomenon and help formulate plans to prevent and manage work-related stress and burnout among the postgraduate trainees.
Highlights
Burnout from chronic stress among medical students, postgraduate trainees, and consultant physicians and surgeons is not a new observation, but has been previously underestimated
No stress and professional burnout was reported in 20.3% residents; 29.6% residents had stress but no professional burnout; 23.4% residents had fair chances of burnout; 14% residents had early burnout; and 12.5% residents had advanced burnout
Higher grades of burnout are more common among male residents, those who are married, and those in early years of postgraduate training
Summary
Burnout from chronic stress among medical students, postgraduate trainees, and consultant physicians and surgeons is not a new observation, but has been previously underestimated. Burnout is a result of chronic exposure to interpersonal as well as emotional job stressors. Burnout in medical practitioners implicates negative effects on job performance. It results in disconnection with work, disappointment, lowered self-esteem, and the sense of not advancing towards achievement of life goals. It reduces work efficiency and job satisfaction and increases the ratio of absenteeism and job turnover [2]. Work-related stress and burnout among medical practitioners has been a frequently studied phenomenon. It reduces work efficiency and productivity and has negative impacts on patient care. This study assessed the extent of work-related stress and burnout and the reasons behind this burnout among the Internal Medicine and Pulmonology residents of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir
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