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Burnout and stress amongst interns in Irish hospitals: contributing factors and potential solutions

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Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The transition from medical school to internship can be daunting for newly qualified doctors. High rates of stress and burnout have been reported, with negative impacts on patient care and physician wellbeing.

Aims

We surveyed interns in our hospital group to evaluate rates of stress and burnout, as well as identify the causative factors and propose potential solutions to these.

Methods

A hundred and one interns working in four different hospitals over a 2-year period were invited to participate in an anonymous survey. The survey collected basic demographic details and surveyed aspects of mental health using the burnout scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the stress scale and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Interns were also asked to rate a variety of workplace factors on a Likert scale based on the degree of stress caused. Finally, they were surveyed on their awareness of support services available to them.

Results

Our results showed that 37% of interns met the criteria for psychological distress, high levels of emotional exhaustion, high depersonalisation and a low sense of personal accomplishment were reported in 55.4, 51.5 and 41.6%, respectively. Inadequate preparation for practice, financial worries, poor role definition and sleep deprivation were reported as significant stressors. Most were unaware of available support services and expressed interest in leaving Ireland after internship.

Conclusions

Burnout and stress are significant problems amongst doctors in Irish hospitals. Ensuring better preparation for clinical practice and awareness of support services is vital to tackle this issue.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the doctors who participated in the survey.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland

    E. Hannan, E. Doherty, M. McGreal, D. Moneley & G. Offiah

  2. Dublin North East / RCSI Intern Training Network, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland

    E. Hannan, N. Breslin, D. Moneley & G. Offiah

Authors
  1. E. Hannan
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  2. N. Breslin
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  3. E. Doherty
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  4. M. McGreal
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  5. D. Moneley
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  6. G. Offiah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Hannan.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval was granted by the local research ethics committees in the affiliated hospitals.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Hannan, E., Breslin, N., Doherty, E. et al. Burnout and stress amongst interns in Irish hospitals: contributing factors and potential solutions. Ir J Med Sci 187, 301–307 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1688-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1688-7

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