Stress and workload impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pulmonology residents

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> The pandemic has changed regular pattern of work in clinics. We aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 related workload and psychosocial burden, as well as the possible associated factors among the pulmonology residents in Turkey. <b>Methods:</b> An online survey was sent to pulmonology residents through e-mails and messages. <b>Results:</b> Out of 200 participants, majority was female (67%), between 24-29 years (72%) of age, from university hospitals (59%), and under training in 1^st wave of Covid-19 (69%). Most of the residents trained during 1^st wave (86%) expressed their stress and anxiety levels as more than moderate and nearly 1/3 considered resigning. Most of the residents were unsatisfied with their jobs and job conditions, and feeling stressed, anxious, worried about contamination (Table 1). Stress and anxiety was associated with gender, residency level, previous experience in Covid-19 wards, stress level during 1^st wave, resigning desire, workload, and insufficient knowledge (p&lt;0.05). On the other hand; age, hospital type, living with kids, workload, tiredness, stress level, resigning desire were associated with depressive mood. <b>Conclusion:</b> Residents were mostly affected psychosocially by the Covid-19 crisis. Considering the modifiable factors, pulmonology residency programs should be aware of and closely monitor these effects.