Elsevier

Academic Radiology

Volume 20, Issue 5, May 2013, Pages 647-655
Academic Radiology

Radiologic education
2013 Joseph E. and Nancy O. whitley award recipient
The Emotional Wellness of Radiology Trainees: Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2012.12.018Get rights and content

Rationale and Objectives

Burnout is a complex phenomenon characterized by emotional exhaustion, social detachment, and feelings of low personal achievement. In this study, we aim to establish the prevalence of burnout among radiology trainees and to explore the factors influencing its development.

Materials and Methods

Survey data were collected from 266 trainee members of the Association of University Radiologists to assess financial status, attitudes toward money and compensation, and burnout symptomology. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze these data.

Results

Most radiology residents reported high levels of personal achievement but routine symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Although increasing levels of household debt were correlated with symptoms of depersonalization and lower reported quality of life, we found that the subjective financial experience was a more reliable indicator of emotional well-being. Specifically, higher subjective self-assessments of financial strain were the best predictors of symptoms of depersonalization (P < .0001), emotional exhaustion (P < .0001), and lower self-reported quality of life (P < .0001). Additionally, residents with recent moonlighting activity reported higher levels of personal achievement (P < .05), lower levels of emotional exhaustion (P < .05), and greater quality of life (P < .05) when compared to non-moonlighters.

Conclusions

The unique nature of radiology training could mean that traditional assumptions regarding the development of trainee burnout do not necessarily apply. Finances may be an underappreciated influence on resident burnout, and subjective feelings of financial scarcity could outweigh the impact of objective indebtedness. Further study is needed to ensure that the emotional well-being of radiology trainees is optimally supported.

Section snippets

Methods

This investigation was exempted from full review by the University of Washington institutional review board. In January 2012, an electronic survey was distributed to all resident and fellow junior members of the Association of University Radiologists with registered e-mail addresses (1389 members). The survey questions are reproduced in the Appendix. A 4-week reminder e-mail was sent and responses gathered for a total of 8 weeks.

The survey began with objective topics including demographics

Survey Sample Demographics

A total of 266 complete responses were received, for a response rate of 19%; 17 additional responses were excluded for incompleteness. Respondents were predominantly male (73%); ages ranged from 25 to 46 years (mean: 31 years). There were 163 married respondents (61%) and 103 respondents (39%) who identified as either single or no longer married. Sixty-seven percent (178 of 266) of respondents reported having no children; 16% (42 of 266) had one child; 12% (31 of 266) had two children; and 6%

Discussion

Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low sense of personal achievement are increasingly recognized as key elements of burnout in medical professionals 6, 16. To date, there have been no published data regarding burnout among radiologists-in-training.

The radiology trainees responding to this survey reported slightly greater emotional exhaustion and substantially greater depersonalization when compared to the internal medicine residents described by West et al (19). Although there are

Conclusions

Burnout is a complex phenomenon that is intimately related with the wellness of resident physicians and may significantly influence their ability to provide safe and compassionate care. We provide some baseline data on the prevalence of burnout symptomology among radiology residents with the hope of sparking further interest in this topic among researchers in our field.

Although radiology trainees do not routinely deliver direct patient care, they clearly are not immune to work-related stress

References (37)

  • N.K. Thomas

    Resident burnout

    JAMA

    (2004)
  • M.A. Moreno

    Resident stress revisited: a senior pediatric resident's point of view

    Pediatrics

    (2003)
  • N. Ratanawongsa et al.

    Well-being in residency: a time for temporary imbalance?

    Med Educ

    (2007)
  • C. Maslach et al.

    Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual

    (1996)
  • D.A. Campbell et al.

    Burnout among American surgeons

    Surgery

    (2001)
  • W.W. Ishak et al.

    Burnout during residency training: a literature review

    J Grad Med Educ

    (2009)
  • L.R. Archer et al.

    The relationship between residents' characteristics, their stress experiences, and their psychosocial adjustment at one medical school

    Acad Med

    (1991)
  • V.U. Collier et al.

    Stress in medical residency: status quo after a decade of reform?

    Ann Intern Med

    (2002)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text