Work-related psychosocial factors associated with burnout syndrome among medical residents at a hospital in Ambato

Abstract

Objective: To describe the frequency of the dimensions of Burnout Syndrome and the characterization of the sociodemographic and occupational profile in resident physicians of a public hospital in Ambato, Ecuador. Materials and methods: An observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive-comparative study was conducted among medical residents from five hospital departments in an Ecuadorian hospital. Data were collected through a digital survey that included sociodemographic and occupational variables, as well as burnout assessment using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: A total of 34 participants were included, male (61.8%), aged 29–31 years (47.1%), employed under temporary contracts (76.5%), working 40–60 hours per week (85.3%), and undertaking 5–8 on-call shifts per month (88.2%). Overall, 64.7% reported high emotional exhaustion, 11.8% high depersonalisation, and 52.9% low personal accomplishment. The distribution of burnout dimensions varied across hospital departments. Internal Medicine and Paediatrics/Neonatology showed the highest overall levels of burnout. Conclusions: A high frequency of burnout syndrome is observed in resident physicians, with differences depending on the specialty. The need for institutional strategies aimed at the prevention and management of occupational burnout during specialized training is evident.