Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic: a study of medical residency training over the years

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety in Brazilian medical residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare residents' beliefs and clinical practices related to COVID-19 patients among all six years of medical residency training in Brazil.

METHODS: A quantitative study was conducted in April 2020 with a convenience sample of medical resident volunteers from an anonymous online survey. This investigation collected sociodemographic information and used the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) to measure burnout, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to measure depression, and the General Anxiety Disorders (GAD-7) to measure generalized anxiety disorder. This study also developed a COVID-19 Impact Questionnaire (CIQ-19) to assess the residents' beliefs and clinical practices related to COVID-19 patients.

RESULTS: Our sample comprised 3071 respondents. Depressive symptoms were the most common among second-year residents (70.5%), followed by anxiety symptoms (56.0%) and burnout (55.2%) among fourth-year residents. We also observed burnout symptoms (55.1%) among second-year residents.

CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of mental illnesses in some years of residency. Our study could not conclude the reasons why the incidence varies among levels of physician training. Final year medical residents have avoided seeing COVID-19 patients.