Burnout among neurosurgeons and residents in neurosurgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.

Zaed, Ismail; Jaaiddane, Youssef; Chibbaro, Salvatore; Tinterri, Benedetta

ABSTRACT Background Burnout syndrome (BS) is a condition, very common among medical professionals. It is composed of 3 different subdimensions, namely emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and reduced personal accomplishment (PA). In the last years, interest in BS in the neurosurgical community has increased. Objective To estimate burnout among neurosurgeons and residents in neurosurgery. Methods A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed following PRISMA guidelines. A search of bibliographic databases was conducted, from inception to February 2020. A total of 16377 studies were found. In the final analysis, 6 papers were included. Their references were checked for additional studies, but none were found. Results From the initial 16377, only 6 met the inclusion criteria, for a total of 3310 physicians. The general prevalence of 48%. When considered alone, neurosurgeons showed a prevalence of 51.1%, which was higher than the prevalence showed by residents in neurosurgery (45.4%). Regarding sub-dimensions, personal accomplishment seemed to be the most influential factor for burnout development among neurosurgeons (42.57%) and residents (51.56%). Conclusion Neurosurgery is a rewarding career choice, but some (togliere) many challenges and stressors can lead to lower levels of satisfaction and dangerously increased levels of burnout. We hope these results will generate discussion, raise awareness, stimulate further studies, and lead to programs designed to mitigate excessive stress and burnout within neurosurgery.