“It’s Not Just Time Off”: A Framework for Understanding Factors Promoting Recovery From Burnout Among Internal Medicine Residents

Summary & key facts

Researchers interviewed 25 internal medicine residents who said they had recovered from burnout. They found two different kinds of burnout. One kind came from specific problems at work or at home and usually eased when those problems were fixed, when people rebuilt their personal lives, or when they took time off. The other kind came from losing a sense of meaning in medicine and feeling unsure about their role. For that kind, recovery happened when residents recognized and felt understood about their burnout, reconnected with patients and coworkers, found new meaning in their work, or reshaped their professional identity. The study suggests that treating burnout may work better if we first figure out which kind a resident is experiencing, but the results come from one program and from people who had already recovered, so we should be cautious about applying them everywhere.

Key facts:

• The researchers did one-hour interviews with 25 people who had been internal medicine residents and who said they had recovered from burnout.
• They found two main types of burnout: circumstantial burnout caused by specific workplace or personal problems, and existential burnout caused by feeling a loss of meaning or an unclear professional role.
• People who had circumstantial burnout described getting better after workplace problems were fixed, after improving their personal lives, or after taking time off.
• People who had existential burnout described recovery when they acknowledged their burnout and felt validated, rebuilt connections with patients and colleagues, found meaning in their work, or redefined their professional role.
• Some residents had a mix of both circumstantial and existential burnout, which meant they used a mix of recovery methods.
• The study was done at one residency program and only included people who said they had already recovered, so the findings describe what helped those residents but do not prove that the same approaches will work for everyone.

Abstract

Our study suggests that residents experience different types of burnout and have variable methods by which they recover from and avoid further burnout. Categorizing residents' burnout into circumstantial versus existential experiences may serve as a helpful framework for formulating interventions.

Topics

Empathy and Medical Education Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout Innovations in Medical Education

Categories

General Health Professions Health Professions Health Sciences

Tags

Burnout Circumstantial evidence Clinical psychology Economics Epistemology Existentialism Feeling Grounded theory Law Management Medicine Nursing Philosophy Political science Psychological intervention Psychology Qualitative research Social psychology Social science Sociology Workload

Conditions & symptoms

Burnout Feeling disconnected from others Lack of energy or motivation Sadness or low mood