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Daily and yearly burnout symptoms in Israeli shift work residents
O Tzischinsky1, D Zohar, R Epstein
1Center for Work Safety and Human Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Journal of Human Ergology
|October 21, 2003
Summary
Long working hours and heavy workloads significantly impact residents' negative mood, especially after night shifts. While burnout symptoms persist, stress levels remain high throughout the first two years of residency.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
Background:
- Burnout is a syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion.
- Residents face heavy workloads and sleep deprivation, increasing burnout risk.
- Understanding the impact of residency on psychological status is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of long working hours on burnout and psychological status in early-career residents.
- To investigate the relationship between workload, sleep duration, and mood in residents.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-eight residents participated in a study using self-administered questionnaires and wrist-worn actigraphy for sleep monitoring.
- Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and background questionnaires were utilized.
- Sleep-wake cycles were monitored for 5-7 days.
Main Results:
- Sleep duration and workload interact to predict negative mood the day after a night shift.
- Positive mood and fatigue were not significantly affected by sleep duration or workload.
- Burnout and psychosomatic symptoms increased after the first year, with stress remaining high into the second year.
Conclusions:
- Long working hours and workload significantly influence residents' mood and psychological well-being.
- Burnout and stress are significant concerns during the initial years of residency.
- While sleep duration did not directly correlate with burnout, its interaction with workload affects mood.