Mental health in resident and postgraduate doctors during the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Ambato General Hospital

Introduction: In the formative stage of physicians in Ecuador, the work as a resident physician is essential within the acquisition of skills and competencies, through medical care and teaching in hospitals; however, daily work in emergency conditions or other situations can lead to professional exhaustion associated with physical and mental fatigue. Objective: To assess the mental health status of 113 resident and postgraduate doctors working during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Ambato General Hospital, during the period of May – July 2020. Material and methods: Descriptive research, cross-sectional, quantitative research using a survey and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire, applied to professionals who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The studied population ranged from 25 to 44 years old and had a mean age of 30 years, a 56% belonging to the female sex. The most affected in the mental health spheres were behavioral and physical. Burnout syndrome was detected in 25% of resident physicians, with a predominance in 14% of the male sex, with the highest affectation of the high emotional exhaustion subscale (71%). Conclusions: It is concluded that the findings could be associated with the current health condition due to the SARS-COV2 health emergency, in addition to corresponding to situations that are not attended to in a timely manner, so it is recommended that personalized interventions be carried out through coordination between Occupational Medicine, Psychology Service and Psychiatry of the hospital.