Burnout phenomenon in Saudi dermatology residents: a national assessment of prevalence and contributing factors

Asem M. Shadid; Batal M. Aldosari; Sakhr Dawari; Ahmed Baabdullah; Asma AlKheraiji; Abdulatif Majed AlBassam; Saad Altalhab; Ruaa Alharithy

doi:10.4081/dr.2023.9655

Authors

Asem M. Shadid Department of Dermatology, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7422-781X
Batal M. Aldosari Department of Dermatology, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sakhr Dawari Department of Dermatology, Alnakheel Medical Complex, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0747-9590
Ahmed Baabdullah Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7661-2025
Asma AlKheraiji Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Al Majmah University, Al Majmah, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1772-2483
Abdulatif Majed AlBassam
abalbasssam@gmail.com
Department of Dermatology, King Salman Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saad Altalhab Department of Dermatology, Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ruaa Alharithy Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyadh; Division of Dermatology, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8681-1987

A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and August 2021; an electronic survey was administered to all dermatology residents (n=79) in all centers with the Saudi Board Dermatology Training Program in the western, eastern and southern regions. Participation was voluntary, and written informed consent was obtained before the study. The survey was completed by 70 dermatology residents, for an 88.61% response rate. All the participants were aware of the study’s aims, and their informed consent was obtained. The study design complied with the Declaration of Helsinki ethical standards and was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia. A total of 70 respondents completed the questionnaire. High emotional exhaustion (EE) was present in 47.1% of respondents, low personal accomplishment (PA) was present in 65.7%, and high depersonalization (DP) was the least prevalent (24.3%) across all burnout dimensions of dermatology residents. Overall burnout was present in 21.4% of the dermatology residents. Multivariate analysis showed that the odds of EE were significantly lower in males than females [odds ratio (OR)=0.2, P=0.016] and the higher number of patients seen per clinic (OR=1.09, P=0.032) was associated with higher odds of having a high risk of EE, while higher satisfaction with work-life balance was associated with lower odds of a high risk of EE (OR=0.47, P=0.005). A higher number of study hours/week was associated with lower odds of low PA (OR=0.95, P=0.02). Similarly, higher satisfaction with career was associated with lower odds of low PA (OR=0.35, P=0.042). Multivariate analysis showed that only exercise (OR=0.21, P=0.05) and satisfaction with work-life balance (OR=0.42, P=0.008) were associated with a lower risk of burnout. Our study adds the burnout rates among dermatology residents in Saudi Arabia, in addition to possible risk factors that can predict burnout, to the literature. These findings can be applied to improve training programs and reduce the burnout rate among residents.

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Shadid, A. M., Aldosari , B. M., Dawari , S., Baabdullah , A., AlKheraiji, A., AlBassam, A. M., Altalhab , S., & Alharithy , R. (2023). Burnout phenomenon in Saudi dermatology residents: a national assessment of prevalence and contributing factors. Dermatology Reports, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/dr.2023.9655