Correlation between resident’s mental health and duty hours during orthopaedic postgraduate training in GMC Jammu: A cross sectional analysis

Abstract

Postgraduate residency programmes specially in surgical and emergency branches are hectic and often leave the residents burnt out due to hectic and long duty hours like emergency duties, ward duties, on call duties, OPDs and OTs that lead to no time for peace and rest leading to compromised mental health of the residents. The present study evaluates the stress and burnout among the postgraduate residents and its association with their long duty hours. METHOD- current study was conducted among 48 orthopaedics postgraduate residents in GMC Jammu and they were  divided into three categories: category 1(>90 hrs), category 2(70-90hrs) and category 3(<70hrs). stress level was measured using perceived stress scale(PSS-10)  and burnout , job satisfaction using Mini-Z scale. Results- this study established significant correlation between long duty hours and stress with has worsened their mental health during residency . This was established by increase in PSS score where  88% residents were in  moderate stress and 4% in severe stress. being under stress was experienced by 39.6% residents and  20% felt completely burnt out. 2.1% were satisfied with their job ,43.8% felt it neutral and 51 % residents felt poor control over work. There was significant positive correlation between duty hours and mini-Z( p value <0.001)  and significant negative correlation duty hours and PSS score(p value<0.001). CONCLUSION- long duty hours are significant in determining the mental health of the residents in the residency programme so structured maximum working hour limit should be decided and there should be a team for the psychological support and counselling of the residents during residency programmes.

Keywords:  Stress, Burnout, Residency, Duty hours