ABSTRACT
Burnout syndrome affects more than 70% of resident physicians worldwide. Despite his alarming statistic, it can still be characterized as a neglected disease. Some studies have described coping strategies, but few services adopt them in practice. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of Burnout syndrome among pediatric residents of a Brazilian tertiary hospital, and to describe a psychodynamic group strategy that was implemented locally, based on the results.
Methodology
a cross-sectional prevalence study using the Maslach Burnout Inventory scale, followed by the planning and execution of a pilot intervention group, from the Balint perspective.
Results
of 23 first and second year pediatric residents in December 2016, 95% were female; the mean age was 27 years, and the average workload was 75 hours per week. Only 3 residents were exclusively dedicated to the medical residency. The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 87%, with exhaustion in 74%, low professional achievement in 57%, and depersonalization in 39%. The intervention group took place between May and December 2017, with six other first-year residents attending the General Pediatric Outpatient Clinic on Fridays. Meetings of the group took place every 15 days, lasted one hour, and adhered to the concept of “protected space”. Participation in the meetings was voluntary. The discussions were based on clinical cases, also addressing the doctor-family relationship and the hospital dynamics.
Conclusion
The high prevalence of burnout syndrome found in this study was comparable to data from national and international literature. However, our study established a local discussion that resulted in a strategy aimed at the well-being of residents and provided an opportunity to learn to recognize personal reactions, as well as those of patients and the whole healthcare team. We also hope this study will bring benefits for the quality of care provided to patients.
Burnout, Professional; Residency; Medical Education; Balint Group
