Background: Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. This study aims to review the current knowledge of professional burnout and its related factors among Iranian medical residents.
Materials and Methods: In this review, a systematic search of online databases (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, ProQuest, SID, CIVILICA, and Google Scholar search engine) was conducted for relevant studies with no time limit up to March 2024. Two reviewers evaluated the quality of eligible studies and carried out the selection procedure. The quality of the information was evaluated using the STROBE statement.
Results: In this comprehensive review of seven studies involving 1,000 medical residents, the overall burnout prevalence across all specialties was 82.1% (ranging from 67.4% to 96.9%), with 84.8% reporting high emotional exhaustion (EE), 96.9% demonstrating high depersonalization (DP), and 89.2% exhibiting low personal accomplishment (PA) scores. A significant relationship was found between burnout and multiple factors including age, gender, year of residency, marital status, academic rank, parental status, monthly on-call frequency, work sector, clinical learning environment, and leisure time (p<0.05). Notably, depersonalization scores were significantly higher among internal medicine residents compared to surgical residents (p=0.04), and EE was more pronounced in single and first-year residents than in married and more advanced-grade residents (p<0.05), highlighting the complex and multifaceted nature of professional burnout in medical training.
Conclusion: Based on the results, the prevalence of burnout among medical residents was significantly higher than anticipated and alarmingly concerning. Given the critical implications of burnout, early recognition and proactive prevention strategies can be instrumental in safeguarding residents' mental health, enhancing their professional performance, and ultimately improving their overall quality of life and patient care.