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A Wellness Assessment of Residents’ Significant Others
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Michael J Zdradzinski MD, James O’Shea MBBS, Melissa White MD, Michelle D Lall MD
Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Open-Ended Responses
Introduction
Results
Response rate
13 of 61 (21%)
Average length of relationship
6.6 ± 3.3 years
Married
59%
Professional sacrifice by SO
42%
SO lives >200 miles away
33%
Residents have high rates of burnout and mood disorders
It is unknown if residents’ significant others (SO’s) are under similar stress from the residents’ work, or what role they play in mitigating burnout and mood disorders among the residents
Top ways residency adds stress:
Hours Worked (7)
Schedule inflexibility (6)
Resident stressed / tired / irritable (4)
Workload at home (3)
Recommendations for improvement
Schedule flexibility & advanced notice (4)
Fewer hours (4)
Improve home workload / documentation burden (4)
Effect of Stress at Work
Objectives
To assess the overall well-being and stress levels of residents’ SO’s, as well as potential factors that detract from SO’s wellness.
Methods
Anonymous survey sent to EM residents electronically, requesting that they forward it to their SO
SO = spouse, domestic partner, romantic partner or close family/friend
Survey Assessed:
Effect of work hours and scheduling
Personal and professional sacrifices by SO
Effects of residents’ work stressors on personal life
Specific ideas for improving SO wellness
5-point Likert scale used for most responses
Discussion
SO’s wellness is significantly affected by residents’ professional responsibilities
SO’s identified several actionable changes to improve wellness, including advanced scheduling and improving documentation burden.
Programs may wish to assess and mitigate the unique factors that affect their residents’ SO’s wellness
Yes
42%
Yes
83%
Yes
67%
References
Raj KS. Well-Being in Residency: A Systematic Review. J Grad Med Educ. 2016;8(5): doi: /JGME-D
Thomas NK. Resident burnout. JAMA. 2004;292(23): doi: /jama
IsHak WW, Lederer S, Mandili C, et al. Burnout During Residency Training: A Literature Review. J Grad Med Educ. 2009;1(2): doi: /JGME-D
Life is more stressful since residency began
Our relationship is under more stress since residency began
Resident has had increased anxiety, depression or neuroticism since residency began
Yes = Agree/Strongly Agree