The International Psychiatry Resident/Trainee Burnout Study: BoSS

UK National coordinator: Dr Greg Lydall, UK, greg.lydall@gmail.com

Background

Burnout is defined as an inadequate response to occupational stress with three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inadequacy. This is the first large scale multicentre multi-country study of the "burnout syndrome" amongst psychiatric trainees. 

Young psychiatrists often ask what their organizations are doing for them, or how could they change anything in their training or working conditions. 

The aim of the study is to evaluate the presence and the level of “burnout syndrome” amongst psychiatry trainees in more than 20 countries across the world. This the UK arm of the study which aims to recruit all trainees registered with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. We will use standardised validated questionnaires and an anonymous online survey tool to measure burnout, depression, working patterns and other factors which may impact on trainees' experience of working life.

In co−operation with the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), we will invite every UK−based psychiatric trainee registered with the College to optionally partake in the survey.  Anonymity will be assured through the sampling method. A large sample size will be accumulated if a significant percentage of the 5000 trainees respond. The sample thus comprises all residents/ trainees in the country.

We aim to use the findings from this study to improve the professional status and the working environment of young psychiatrists.

This is the UK arm of an international study. The study itself is organized and run in collaboration with the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees http://www.efpt.eu/ and the Psychiatric Trainees Committee (PTC) of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. A downloadable information sheet and results from the survey will be accessible via the Psychiatric Trainees Committee.

Sampling

The Royal College has agreed to email all trainees with an introductory letter and a weblink address that takes them to the online questionnaire. They may opt out of further communication at any stage. The UK questionnaire will be loaded onto a secure website (Surveymonkey.com). The study participants will be able to access the questionnaire, where their answers will be encrypted and anonymous. Data is in turn delivered directly into an anonymised database at Surveymonkey ready for analysis. Surveymonkey is the leading reputable international company providing this type of secure online research facility. We use industry standard secure encrypted technology. (See http://www.surveymonkey.com/HelpCenter/Answers.aspx?CatID=6   for detailed information). We use their highest level of security (the professional subscription). This process ensures absolute confidentiality and anonymity for participants. This method uses tried and tested software, and has the advantages of greatly  simplifying the data collection process, is very low cost, completely protects and anonymises participants, and makes maximising sample size easy.

Principal inclusion criteria

The study population comprises psychiatry residents/trainees only. Being a psychiatry resident/trainee is the only inclusion criteria. Residents/trainees are defined as fully qualified medical doctors who are enrolled in a nationally recognised specialist training program in psychiatry that will lead on successful completion to accreditation as a fully trained medical specialist in psychiatry. This will be a European Union (EU) recognised specialist qualification in EU countries, and an equivalent nationally recognised specialist qualification in non−EU countries.

Principal exclusion criteria

There are no exclusion criteria.

Funding

This project is entirely on voluntary basis with the approval of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), so there is no funding budget or potential financial conflict of interest.

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