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Many ophthalmology residents report depression, burnout or suicide in training programs
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A national survey of ophthalmology residents in the United States showed many residents reported that their programs faced issues involving depression, burnout or suicide within the past year.
“We need to do a better job ensuring our residents have a healthy work-life balance, which will positively impact their training and the care they provide to patients. Our study suggests that making wellness programs more accessible to residents and giving them time to take advantage of the wellness opportunities will help achieve this goal,” Paul B. Greenberg, MD, MPH, told Healio.com/OSN.
Among 241 residents who responded to the survey, 68.4% reported that their programs faced issues with depression, burnout or suicide, while 26.3% reported resident fatigue, burnout or depression affected a medical outcome or their judgment during a case; 26.7% of residents said their department had a resident wellness program, but the most commonly cited barrier for its use was a lack of time. Approximately 38% of respondents were not aware if they had access to free counseling services through their programs.
Of the respondents, 45.6% said their programs placed moderate or major emphasis on promoting wellness among residents.
The researchers noted that in July 2017 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education released revised requirements that mandate ophthalmology programs provide activities and curricula for resident well-being. These requirements also encourage residents to monitor work intensity and allow residents to attend their own health appointments. The requirements are designed to reduce resident burnout and increase wellness, according to the report. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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