A BSTRACT Background: Factors such as stress, burnout, and resulting alcohol use have been known for years to impact resident doctors negatively. The period of postgraduate residency proves to be a difficult time for most, and medical professionals do not tend to seek help for themselves. Aim: To explore the relationship between stress, burnout, and alcohol use among postgraduate medical residents. Materials and Methods: An online survey was circulated among postgraduate residents in a medical college. Apart from the self-made sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale-4, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Concise were applied to all the participants. Results: Out of the 103 postgraduate residents recruited for the study, 56 were males, and 47 were females. The prevalence of burnout components, i.e., emotional exhaustion, was 66.99%, depersonalization was 56.31%, and personal accomplishment was 45.63%. Emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment were more prominent in females, while depersonalization was more common in males. Stress levels were influenced by emotional exhaustion. Family income and personal accomplishment were negatively affected by depersonalization. The prevalence of alcohol use was 29.13%, with a higher percentage among males (37.03%) compared to females (20.40%). Additionally, alcohol use was positively associated with benzodiazepine use among male residents. Conclusion: Burnout is an increasing issue that has detrimental effects on physicians’ overall health and effectiveness, the working environment in healthcare institutions, the financial aspects of hospitals, and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
Perti et al. (Wed,) studied this question.