RESUMO
Background: The high emotional burden of physicians working in emergency departments may affect their quality of life perception. Aim: To evaluate health related quality of life among resident physicians performing shifts at an emergency department. Material and Methods: Seventy one physicians aged 26,3 ± 1,7 years (47 women), working as residents in an emergency department, answered the short version of the Short-Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36®). This questionnaire analyses eight domains: physical function, body pain, general health, vitality, social function, emotional role and mental health. Results: Women had a significantly worse perception than a reference population in four dimensions of the SF-36, especially mental health and social functioning. Men had scores similar to the reference population. Among women, vitality is the best predictor of mental health and social functioning. Conclusions: Women working as residents in an emergency department have a worse perception of their quality of life than men performing the same job.