Suicidal Thoughts Among Medical Residents with Burnout

OBJECTIVES: Recent research showed that medical residents have a high risk for developing burnout. The present study investigates the prevalence of burnout and its relationship with suicidal thoughts among medical residents. METHODS: All Dutch medical residents (n = 5126) received a self-report questionnaire. Burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Residents were asked about the frequency of suicidal thoughts. RESULTS: Response rate was 41.3% (n = 2115). 432 Residents (20.6%) were classified as burnout. 12% reported having suicidal thoughts at least 1 time during their residency, and 1% many times. Suicidal thoughts were substantially more prevalent in the group with burnout in comparison to non-burnout (20.5% vs. 7.6%; chi(2) = 182.9, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Knowledge about the relationship between burnout and suicidal thoughts among these young medical professionals could be important for suicide prevention.