Burnout Among Residents: A Current Perspective

Abstract

Burnout is increasingly prevalent among medical residents, with reported rates ranging from 17% to 75% in certain studies, highlighting methodological heterogeneity and the need for further research and understanding. This literature review aims to contribute to a better understanding of this topic by examining the prevalence, assessment instruments, associated factors, consequences, and interventions related to burnout among resident physicians. To achieve this, a literature search of scientific publications from 2000 to 2024 was conducted, resulting in a total of 22 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Burnout has serious psychiatric consequences for the physician but also affects patients, since a doctor who is not able to perform effectively at work offers lower quality healthcare delivery and risks medical errors. Based on the evidence synthesized in the article, burnout among medical residents is highly prevalent, multifactorial, and strongly driven by organizational conditions, with rates frequently exceeding 50% and reaching particularly high levels in the first year of residency and in certain specialties. The findings also show that organizational and integrated institutional interventions are more effective than individual strategies alone, leading to meaningful reductions in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and downstream consequences for patient care and workforce retention. To address this growing issue, integrated approaches are needed, both at the institutional and personal levels.