Overlap of burnout-depression symptoms among Chinese neurology graduate students in a national cross-sectional study.
Wei Zhou, Juncai Pu, Xiaogang Zhong, Wensong Yang, Teng Teng, Li Fan, Haiyang Wang, Lu Tian, Yiyun Liu, Peng Xie
Author Information
Wei Zhou: School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Juncai Pu: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Xiaogang Zhong: School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Wensong Yang: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Teng Teng: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Li Fan: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Haiyang Wang: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Lu Tian: School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Yiyun Liu: NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Peng Xie: School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. xiepeng@cqmu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: The overlap of burnout and depression is a phenomenon that can effectively reflect the psychological state of a group. However, whether burnout is a type of depression is still debated in current research. The high incidence of burnout and depressive symptoms among medical students indicates that it is urgent to provide appropriate health services for them. However, the proportion of burnout and depression in the overlapping symptoms experienced by medical students, and the characteristics of the relative influencing factors, remain unclear. Therefore, we addressed these issues for neurology graduate students in China. METHODS: Using data from a cross-sectional survey of Chinese neurology graduate students, a diagnostic model was established according to their burnout and/or depression symptoms. burnout was assessed by using the Maslach burnout Inventory. depression symptoms were assessed with a two-item depression screening tool for primary care evaluation of mental disorders. Univariate analyses with chi-squared tests were conducted to assess associations between variables. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the effects of multiple factors on dependent variables. The factors included demographic information and three medical-study related problems. RESULTS: In total, 32.2% of surveyed students evidenced overlapping burnout and depression symptoms. Students with depressive symptoms tended to be included in the burnout students' category. In the regression model, being unmarried, having children, and career choice regret were related to students who had only burnout, while the students with overlapping symptoms were affected by more factors such as family income, the consideration of dropping out once. CONCLUSIONS: The symptoms and related factors of burnout and depression among Chinese neurology postgraduates have obvious overlap and show a significant trend. The occurrence of depressive symptoms among medical students is closely related to whether they are burned out. Students with only burnout were common, but students with only depressive symptoms were uncommon. Finally, burnout may be a pre-depression state.
