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A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
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Nationwide Study on Stress Perception Among Surgical Residents
Laura C Guglielmetti1, Christian Gingert1,2, Anna Holtz3
1Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland.
World Journal of Surgery
|March 19, 2022
Summary
Surgical residents in Switzerland experience high levels of perceived stress, with females reporting worse outcomes than males. These findings highlight the need for interventions to improve the well-being and retention of surgical trainees.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Psychology
Background:
- Declining applicant numbers and high attrition rates are significant challenges in surgical residencies.
- Surgical trainees face numerous stressors that can impair performance and lead to burnout.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and analyze the perceived stress levels among Swiss surgical residents.
- To identify factors associated with stress in surgical training.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1694 Swiss surgical residents completed the Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS) between 2016 and 2020.
- The PSS assesses feelings of unpredictability, uncontrollability, and overload in work life.
- Analysis included demographic and specialty-specific factors influencing stress levels.
Main Results:
- Residents reported high median PSS scores (15), indicating significant stress.
- Female residents experienced higher stress and helplessness compared to males.
- Factors such as male sex, aiming for orthopedic or visceral surgery, and French as a mother tongue were associated with lower stress.
Conclusions:
- Perceived stress is notably high among Swiss surgical residents, particularly females.
- These stress levels may negatively impact the attractiveness of surgical careers.
- Urgent, sex-specific analyses and interventions are needed to address stressors and enhance residency programs.
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