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Burnout in Swiss and Australian surgeons in training—a cross-sectional study

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Summary

Background

Burnout in physicians affects personal life, health, commitment to work, and finally patient care. Surgeons in training have been shown to be prone to burnout. The aim of the present study is to characterize the prevalence of burnout among Swiss and Australian surgery residents, as well as to identify individual and system-related predispositions for burnout.

Methods

All Swiss and Australian surgery residents were contacted to complete an online questionnaire between April and December 2017. Personal and system-related issues were assessed, and the abbreviated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Brief Resilience Scale, and a shortened version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List were included.

Results

In Switzerland 237 of 700 (34%) and in Australia 175 of 428 (41%) general surgery residents completed the online questionnaire. Australian residents were older, more experienced, and rather had family. While documented training programs are fewer, regulated weekly work hours are more common in Switzerland. Factors mostly associated with risk of burnout were “barely” or no free time activities and increased working hours per week. Factors inversely correlated with burnout were having children, salary satisfaction, and regulated weekly working hours. Factors not associated with burnout were country, age, gender, work experience, relationship, religion, hospital type, and a documented training program.

Conclusion

Reduced free time activities and augmented working hours increase the risk of burnout, whereas having children, salary satisfaction, and regulated weekly working hours decrease the risk of burnout.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clarunis, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Spitalstraße 21, 4031, Basel, Switzerland

    S. Leu & R. F. Staerkle M.D.

  2. Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    R. N. Vuille-dit-Bille M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Department of Mathematics, Cantonal School of Wil St. Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland

    L. Fink MSc

  4. Department of Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland

    C. Soll M.D.

Authors
  1. S. Leu
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  2. R. N. Vuille-dit-Bille M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. L. Fink MSc
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  4. C. Soll M.D.
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  5. R. F. Staerkle M.D.
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Contributions

Leu S: study conception and design, acquisition of data, drafting of manuscript; Vuille-dit-Bille RN: drafting of manuscript, analysis and interpretation of data, critical revision of manuscript; Fink L: analysis and interpretation of data; Soll C: critical revision of manuscript; Staerkle RF: study conception and design, acquisition of data, critical revision of manuscript

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. F. Staerkle M.D..

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Conflict of interest

S. Leu, R.N. Vuille-dit-Bille, L. Fink, C. Soll, and R.F. Staerkle declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical standards

This research study was granted ethical approval by the Cantonal Ethics Committee of Zurich, Switzerland (reference number: Req-2016-00518).

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The authors S. Leu and R.N. Vuille-dit-Bille contributed equally to the manuscript.

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Leu, S., Vuille-dit-Bille, R.N., Fink, L. et al. Burnout in Swiss and Australian surgeons in training—a cross-sectional study. Eur Surg 52, 201–209 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10353-020-00639-y

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