Medical Residency and Burnout Frequency: Relationship with Income and Family Type

Abstract

Background: Burnout may be defined as physical and emotional exhaustion due to stress from work under demanding conditions. It is a grave problem in physicians; its significance can be estimated by the fact that around 25% to 60% practicing physicians are affected by burnout worldwide. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of burnout in medical residents of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi and its relationship with income and family type. Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study in which questionnaires were distributed to 425residents in Medicine and Surgery wards of tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a series of demographic questions, salary and family type were asked in the questionnaire. Results: Total 77.6 % residents were found to be burnout. High and moderate level burnout was more common in female residents (33.4% and 18.5%) than males (28.7% and 15.6%) with odd ratio 0.7 in both groups. The majority of residents with monthly income less than fifty-five thousand reported of high burnout levels. Burnout in residents living alone (86.3%) was more frequent than residents living with joint family (67.2%). Conclusion: There was an inverse relationship between amount of monthly income and degree of burnout. Residents living with nuclear background were found to be more depressed than residents living in joint families.