Comparison of burnout among medical residents before and after the implementation of work hours limits.

OBJECTIVE: The authors assess whether implementation of work hour limits is associated with a lower prevalence of medical resident burnout. METHOD: A survey was mailed to medical residents in different medical specialties at one university. RESULTS: Somewhat lower burnout prevalence was reported among residents after implementation of work hour limits compared with the rates prior to the implementation period. The decrease in burnout prevalence occurred primarily among PGY-1 residents. Prevalence of burnout increased with hours worked. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing work hour limits appeared to reduce burnout prevalence.

Burnout comparison among residents in different medical specialties.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate resident burnout in relation to work and home-related factors. METHOD: Maslach Burnout Inventory was mailed to residents in eight different medical specialties, with a response rate of 35%. RESULTS: Overall, 50% of residents met burnout criteria, ranging from 75% (obstetrics/gynecology) to 27% (family medicine). The first year of residency, being single, personal stress, and dissatisfaction with faculty were independently associated with burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to reduce resident burnout nationally would benefit from expanding beyond the work-hours regulation.

The association of tobacco smoking and depression in adolescence: evidence from the United States.

INTRODUCTION: We examine a suspected causal association between tobacco smoking and depression. Using data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), we explore variation in depression severity among current and former smokers compared to nonsmokers. We focus on the association between time since last smoke in former smokers and depression severity, to examine whether the level of tobacco-depression relationship might vary in a time-dependent fashion. METHODS: Our cross-sectional data come from three public use files of the U.S. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), collected with different respondents each year from 1994 to 1996, for participants 12-17 years old (N = 13,827). Ordinal logistic regression is used to assess the association between severity of depression and cigarette smoking among former and current smokers. RESULTS: Current smokers had the highest odds for depression, followed by former smokers, then nonsmokers. Females had higher odds of depression compared to males. The odds of depression varied in subgroups of former smokers. Odds of depression were lower with more elapsed time since last smoke. DISCUSSION: We add new evidence on depression in association with tobacco smoking. Teens who quit smoking may reduce their odds of depressed mood, but more research is needed before a definite causal path can be established.