The Association of Grit and Burnout among Gynecological Post-Graduate Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Burnout is a syndrome comprising of personal exhaustion and poor work performance experienced by an individual. Burnout is widespread among medical professionals, particularly doctors in training, and is multi-factorial in origin. In Pakistan, multiple researches have been conducted studying extrinsic factors in relation to Burnout. Grit is an intrinsic personality trait, defined as perseverance and passion for long term goals. High levels of Grit have been linked with better academic grades and career success. Grit has the potential to influence the development of Burnout. High levels of Burnout are reported among Pakistani doctors but have not been studied with respect to intrinsic character traits. The study of Grit and Burnout offers a novel approach to curtailing Burnout among medical professionals. Objective: To determine the co-relation between the Grit score and Burnout level among post-graduate residents of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out among the Post-graduate residents of Lady Aitchison Hospital, King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Lahore. Ethical approval for the study was taken from IRB (Institutional Review Board) of KEMU Lahore. Levels of Grit and Burnout were determined via the Short Grit Scale (SGS) and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) respectively. Results: There were 49 participants having a mean age of 27.7 years. A mean Grit score of 3.25 and a mean Burnout score of 42.4 was calculated from the responses. Statistical analysis via Pearson's correlation gave a value of -0.511 which shows a moderate inverse relation. Conclusion: Grit has a protective role in causing low levels of Burnout.