Personality, interests, and emotional disturbance in psychiatric residents

To determine the personality and attitudinal characteristics of emotionally disturbed psychiatric residents and their short-term adjustment the authors conducted a series of psychological tests with physicians entering two psychiatric residency programs. Seventy residents completed the test battery, which included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the MMPI, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. About 9% of the sample scored as cases on the GHQ, having nonpsychotic emotional illness, and a further 5% scored as likely cases. These physicians had significantly higher neuroticism scores and MMPI depression, social isolation, schizophrenia, psychasthenia, and hypochondriasis scores. Their interests were less like those of other physicians or psychiatrists and more like those of bankers and office workers.