Predictors of Well-Being in Resident Physicians: A Descriptive and Psychometric Study

It is important to describe the characteristics of well-being in resident physicians to develop resident wellness initiatives in postgraduate medical education.

To characterize the predictors of well-being in resident physicians by assessing personal and work-related burnout, work dissatisfaction, nutritional needs while on call, and sleep needs while on call.

We set up an online survey in 2012 to collect data from current residents at the University of Calgary in Canada. The WHO-Five Well-Being Index, personal and work-related subscales of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, questions on work dissatisfaction, as well as sleep and nutrition management needs while on call, were used in the survey. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and linear regression were applied to the data.

The survey response rate was 45% (317 of 706) of eligible residents, with a mean age of 30.9 years (SD  =  4.3). Fifty-three percent (168 of 317) of residents had a well-being score of 13 or less, indicating poor mental well-being. There were significant differences between men and women with respect to personal burnout (47.9 versus 54.2, P  =  .002) and work-related burnout (46.4 versus 50.4, P  =  .008). The only significant predictors of well-being overall were personal burnout and work dissatisfaction.

Survey results suggest that a high proportion of residents at this institution have low well-being. This study did not find work-related burnout to be a significant predictor of well-being, after adjustment for other variables.