A Scoping Review of Burnout in Neurosurgery

Burnout is a negative workplace syndrome of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and perceived professional inefficacy that risks the patient-provider relationship, patient care, and physician well-being.

To assimilate the neurosurgical burnout literature in order to classify burnout among domestic and international neurosurgeons and trainees, identify contributory factors, and appraise the impact of wellness programs.

A scoping review identified the available literature, which was reviewed for key factors related to burnout among neurosurgeons. Two researchers queried PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and Web of Science for articles on burnout in neurosurgery and reduced 1610 results to 32 articles.

A total of 32 studies examined burnout in neurosurgery. A total of 26 studies examined prevalence and 8 studies detailed impact of wellness programs. All were published after 2011. Burnout prevalence was measured mostly through the Maslach Burnout Inventory (n = 21). In 4 studies, participants defined their own understanding of "burnout." Domestically, burnout prevalence was 11.2% to 67% among residents and 15% to 57% among attendings. Among trainees, poor operative experience, poor faculty relationships, and social stressors were burnout risks but not age, sex, or marital status. Among attendings, the literature identified financial or legal concerns, lack of intellectual stimulation, and poor work-life balance as risks. The impact of wellness programs on trainees is unclear but group exercises may offer the most benefit.

Noticeable methodological differences in studies on trainee and attending burnout contribute to a wide range of neurosurgery burnout estimates and yield significant knowledge gaps. Environment may have greater impact on trainee burnout than demographics. Wellness programs should emphasize solidarity.