title: A Multicenter Study Investigating Empathy and Burnout Characteristics in Medical Residents with Various Specialties.
abstract: We assessed empathy in medical residents, including factors modifying empathy and the relationship between empathy and burnout. Participants (n = 317 residents, response rate = 42%) from 4 university hospitals completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (Health Professional version, Korean edition), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Participants were classified by medical specialty: "people-oriented specialty" (POS group) or "technology-oriented specialty" (TOS group), with more women in the POS than in the TOS group, χ(2) = 14.12, P < 0.001. Being female, married, and having children were factors related to higher empathy (gender, t = -2.129, P = 0.034; marriage, t = -2.078, P = 0.038; children, t = 2.86, P = 0.005). Within specialty group, POS residents showed higher empathy scores in the fourth as compared to the first year, F = 3.166, P = 0.026. Comparing POS and TOS groups by year, fourth year POS residents had significantly higher scores than did fourth year TOS residents, t = 3.349, P = 0.002. There were negative correlations between empathy scores and 2 MBI subscales, emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP). Additionally, first year POS residents had higher DP scores than did first year TOS residents, t = 2.183, P = 0.031. We suggest that factors important for empathy are type of medical specialty, marriage, siblings, and children. Burnout state may be related to decreasing empathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Korea .
authors.forename: Chanmin
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3795-8952
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea .
authors.forename: Yeon Jung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5624-0447
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Korea .
authors.forename: Minha
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4924-1107
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea .
authors.forename: Chul-Ho
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6451-5658
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea .
authors.forename: Yeni
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9506-7774
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Synn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea .
authors.forename: Young-Sook
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6071-238X
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kwack
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea .
authors.forename: Jae-Sung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9668-0511
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University College of Medicine, Jeonju, Korea .
authors.forename: Tae Won
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5980-0756
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Korea .
authors.forename: Seong Ae
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4699-283X
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea .
authors.forename: Geon Ho
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3550-0422
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D003710:Demography; D003861:Depersonalization; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Burnout; Empathy; Medical Education; Medical Residency; Medical Specialization; Physicians