Occupational Stress and Burnout Syndrome in a Group of Resident Physicians

Abstract Introduction : The burnout syndrome is a state of physical, psychological and emotional exhaustion resulting from the accumulation of chronic work-related stress that has not been successfully managed. Healthcare professionals are among the groups most susceptible to developing this condition. Materials and Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to medical residents in Romania. It included items assessing sources of stress encountered in medical practice, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) as well as lifestyle-related questions. Results : The study sample consisted of 84 medical residents from 29 different specializations. The mean PSS-14 score was 28.56 ± 9.63, with 51% of participants presenting high or very high levels of perceived stress. Overall, 43% exhibited medium or high levels of burnout (total score), and the CBI subscales indicated a significant risk of personal burnout in 65%, work-related burnout in 52% and patient-related burnout in 35% of respondents. The most frequently identified stressors were: (1) excessive time required for completing medical documentation; (2) the inability to provide optimal patient care due to various limitations; and (3) frequent interruptions of work tasks. Conclusions: Given that nearly half of the responding residents exhibit high or severe stress and burnout scores, this stage of medical training can be considered highly demanding. Stressors need to be clearly identified in order to implement organizational changes aimed at mitigating their impact.