Burnout and depression in first-year medical students across the academic year in the United States.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and severity of burnout and depression in first-year medical students at different points in the academic year.

Methods: U.S. first-year allopathic medical students with a pass/fail preclinical curriculum were emailed through the school's email list with four rounds of surveys consisting of the full set of questions from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, with the question order randomized. The surveys were sent before winter break, during block final exams, the subsequent block's midpoint, and after the subsequent block's midterm examinations.

Results: A total of 147 students completed the questionnaire (29.4%; n = 147/500). Most participants (73.5%) reported experiencing symptoms of work-related burnout, and 44.2% reported symptoms of depression. Client-related burnout and PHQ-9 scores were strongly correlated (Spearman r = 0.645, p < 0.001). Work-related burnout was also strongly related to client-related burnout (r = 0.739, p < 0.001) and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.786, p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in depression or burnout were noted throughout all four survey rounds.

Conclusions: Burnout and depression severity in first-year medical students remain statistically similar throughout the academic year despite significant events such as exams or breaks. This may indicate that scheduling exams after breaks reduces any protective effect it may have on burnout/depression. It may also suggest that institutional changes such as a pass-fail preclinical curriculum meant to improve medical students' mental health have not had the intended positive effect.