General practitioner residents’ mental health and satisfaction during their vocational training

Primary care is the cornerstone of the healthcare system. In human resource recruitment, general practitioner resident vocational training plays a significant role. Satisfaction with the early years of a medical career influences future career plans and decisions. General practitioner residents’ mental health is also a key issue in the postgraduate training process. However, increasing workforce shortages and mental health problems among residents threaten the sustainability of primary care systems. The Hungarian primary care system faces a severe shortage of general practitioners. Therefore, it is crucial to know more about the career plans of resident doctors who have already entered family medicine training and to support them in remaining in this field. This was a national cross-sectional survey using a self-administered, paper-based questionnaire among general practitioner residents from all four Hungarian medical universities. Burnout, depression and hopelessness were assessed using validated instruments (Maslach Burnout Inventory, BDI-9, and Beck Hopelessness Scale). Data collection was carried out from December 2023 to January 2024. A total of 166 GP residents participated in our research, resulting in an overall response rate of 86%. Reduced personal accomplishment was the most prevalent burnout dimension, affecting 40.7% of residents, while severe depression and hopelessness were present in 4.8% and 5.4%, respectively. Despite this, nearly 90% of respondents would choose family medicine again, and 71.9% were satisfied with their vocational training. Burnout, depression and hopelessness showed significant associations with lower satisfaction with career choice and vocational training. A significant majority plan to obtain an additional license or a specialization exam. Burnout, depression, and hopelessness showed significant correlations with satisfaction with career choice and vocational training. Most Hungarian general practitioner residents are satisfied with their career choice and vocational training. Targeted support for residents’ mental health and improvements in vocational training may contribute to retention in primary care and strengthen human resource recruitment.