Trainee burnout: Are there modifiable factors?

Abstract

Burnout is a complex phenomenon and a major concern in graduate medical education as it directly impacts trainee well-being. Identifying modifiable lifestyle factors over which trainees have immediate control could support timely, actionable, individual and programme-level interventions to combat it. The objective of this pilot study is to describe modifiable lifestyle factors that may limit the development of burnout in medical residents and fellows. We performed a cross-sectional survey of residents and fellows at academic medical centre from September 2017 to October 2017. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a questionnaire designed to identify factors hypothesised to be protective against burnout. A total of 205/805 (25%) trainees completed the survey with a mean (SD) age of 29.7 (2.6) years. 52% (n= 107) were female. Averaging at least 7 h of sleep per night was found to have a significant association with lower scores for the emotional exhaustion (24.8 [11, p= 0.04]) and depersonalisation (11.1 [6.4, p= 0.02]) dimensions of burnout. Additionally, self-identifying as a healthy eater was found to have a significant association with lower scores for emotional exhaustion (25 [11.5, p= 0.03]) and depersonalisation (11.5 [6.6, p= 0.04]) as well. Workouts, hobbies, identifying with organised religion, praying, meditation and mindfulness activities were not associated with a difference. Adequate sleep (7 or more hours per night) and healthy eating are modifiable individual-level lifestyle factors associated with lower burnout scores in trainees. These items could be a target for trainee education and programme level support initiatives.