Gender differences in burnout among resident physicians in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Researchers extensively studied burnout in the medical profession; however, findings on gender differences have remained inconsistent. Understanding well-being disparities between male and female resident physicians is essential for providing appropriate support and fostering a sustainable medical workforce. This study examined gender differences in burnout, depression, job stress, and job satisfaction among Japanese resident physicians in their first and second postgraduate years.

The authors conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional study using data from the 2022 General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE). The analysis included resident physicians who completed the GM-ITE; it assessed burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction using single items from the Mini-Z 2.0 on a five-point Likert scale, and measured depression using the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. This study categorized gender as male or female and estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) for well-being outcomes using clustered log-linear modified Poisson regression models.

The final analysis included 5812 residents, of whom 31.8% were female. Compared with male residents, female residents were younger, less likely to pursue high-workload specialties, and reported fewer working hours, emergency duties, and self-study time. Well-being outcomes revealed that 17.9% experienced burnout, 29.5% reported depressive symptoms, 39.0% experienced high job stress, and 66.6% reported job satisfaction. Multivariable analysis indicated that female residents were significantly less likely to experience burnout (PR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.84) and more likely to report job satisfaction (PR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13). Gender differences in depressive symptoms and high job stress were not significant.

Female residents in Japan experienced lower burnout rates and higher job satisfaction than their male counterparts. These findings challenged assumptions that female gender universally correlates with poor occupational well-being outcomes in the medical field and underscored the need for gender-sensitive support strategies.