Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Health Problems in Resident Physicians in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yan Zhang,1,2 Li Zhang,2 Jianyu Que,3 Miao Jia,2 Xi Nan,2 Juanniu Zhang,2 Haifei Gao,1 Lixia Chen1,2 1School of Mental Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010000, People’s Republic of China; 2Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Mental Health Center, Hohhot, 010000, People’s Republic of China; 3Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Affiliated Xianyue Hospital of Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Provincial Mental Health Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361012, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lixia Chen, Email [email protected]: This study investigates the prevalence and contributory factors of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia, among resident physicians. Additionally, it endeavors to understand the complex characteristics of these issues across different demographic groups.Methods: Using an online cross-sectional design, the study engaged resident physicians in Inner Mongolia, China, through convenience sampling. Questionnaires collected data on sociodemographic background, training details, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Conduct latent class analysis on psychological issues using Mplus software. Analyze the related influencing factors of different group characteristics using a multivariate logistic regression model.Results: The study comprised 2891 resident physicians, revealing that 20.3% experienced moderate to severe anxiety, 19.72% had moderate to severe depression, and 9.6% faced moderate to severe insomnia. Latent class analysis identified three distinct mental health groups: a high anxiety-depression-insomnia group, a low anxiety-depression-healthy sleep group, and a moderate anxiety-mild depression-variable insomnia group. Factors such as training stage, professional accomplishments, self-reported medical errors, self-esteem, perceived stress, and social support were significantly associated with mental health issues, as identified by multivariate logistic regression.Conclusion: The mental health problems among residents are prominent. By analyzing mental health status and influencing factors, residents can be categorized into different groups, allowing for more targeted interventions. These interventions may include stress management, communication skills training, crisis intervention, and the development of support systems, along with improvements to the work environment and a focus on humanistic care.Keywords: resident physicians, mental health, anxiety, depression, insomnia, latent class analysis, determinants