Correlation Between the "Big Five" Personality Traits and Burnout in Orthopaedic Surgery Residents

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Psychology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Burnout is a significant issue for orthopaedic surgeons.
• Intrinsic factors contributing to burnout in this group are not well understood.
• Previous research links personality traits to burnout risk, but specific data for orthopaedic surgeons is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the "Big Five" personality traits and burnout among orthopaedic residents.
• To determine if specific personality profiles predict higher stress and burnout levels in this population.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study (Profiling of Orthopaedic Surgery Trainees - POST) involving residents from 12 institutions (2020-2022).
• Participants completed personality assessments (Big Five), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI).
• Linear regression analyses were used to correlate personality traits with stress and burnout scores.

Main Results:

• High neuroticism correlated positively with stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization, and negatively with personal accomplishment.
• Low agreeableness was negatively associated with depersonalization and positively with personal accomplishment.
• Stress and burnout affected a significant proportion of residents (63-66% and 48-49%, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Specific personality traits, namely high neuroticism and low agreeableness, are linked to increased stress and burnout in orthopaedic residents.
• Personality assessments may serve as a tool to identify residents at higher risk for burnout.
• Proactive interventions targeting intrinsic risk factors can be developed based on these findings.