Burn Out syndrome among resident doctors: Association with work hours and perceived organizational support.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the independent and moderating effects of perceived organizational support on burnout syndrome trajectories among resident physicians navigating clinical training environments. Study Design: Analytical Cross-sectional. Period: July to December 2024. Setting: Shahida Islam Medical College, Lodhran. Methods: Stratified random sampling enrolled 112 active postgraduate medical residents across diverse clinical specialties. Participants completed structured instrument capturing demographic and occupational variables, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey metrics, and the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support. Hierarchical multiple linear regression and moderation analyses were executed via SPSS version 25.0 to isolate predictive relationships and institutional buffering effects, adjusting for demographic confounders. Results: The participants average weekly work hours 72.5, with 64.3% exceeding 60 hours weekly. Extended duty hours demonstrated a significant positive correlation with emotional exhaustion (r=0.42) and depersonalization (r=0.35). Conversely, robust institutional support exhibited strong inverse correlations with these adverse psychological outcomes. Hierarchical regression models confirmed that prolonged work schedules (β=0.34) and diminished organizational backing (β=-0.31) independently predicted elevated emotional exhaustion. Crucially, moderation analysis revealed that perceived support significantly buffered the detrimental psychological impact of excessive clinical hours, effectively altering adverse burnout trajectories. Conclusion: While excessive clinical hours substantially fuel resident burnout, strong perceived organizational support serves as a vital protective buffer. Healthcare administrations must prioritize cultivating empathetic, supportive institutional cultures alongside strict duty-hour monitoring to safeguard trainee mental health and prevent professional attrition in medical training.