Impact of on-call shifts on working memory and the role of burnout, sleep, and mental well-being in trainee physicians

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample demographics and characteristics.

Sample size	83
Age – Mean (SD)	26.29 (3.33)
Sex (M) – Num (%)	37 (44.6)
Marital status (Married) – Num (%)	16 (19.2%)
Current rotation – Num (%)
Emergency medicine	19 (23%)
Medicine	22 (27%)
Surgery	22 (27%)
Obstetrics and gynecology	10 (12%)
Pediatric	9 (11%)
Year – Num (%)
Intern	38 (45.8)
First	12 (14.5)
Second	14 (16.9)
Third	7 (8.4)
Fourth	12 (14.5)
Hours daily – Mean (SD)	8.77 (1.80)
Calls monthly – Mean (SD)	3.94 (3.61)

Table 2. Descriptive data of the study variables.

Sample size	83
PHQ-9 – Mean (SD)	8.41 (5.16)
PHQ-9 categories – No. (%)
Minimal (1–4)	22 (26.5)
Mild (5–9)	31 (37.3)
Moderate (10–14)	17 (20.5)
Moderately severe (15–19)	10 (12.0)
Severe (20–27)	3 (3.6)
STAI state – Mean (SD)	44.05 (12.20)
STAI state categories – No. (%)
None/Low (20–37)	26 (31.3)
Moderate (38–44)	18 (21.7)
High (45–80)	39 (47.0)
STAI Trait – Mean (SD)	43.73 (11.12)
STAI trait categories – No. (%)
None/Low (20–37)	26 (31.3)
Moderate (38–44)	14 (16.9)
High (45–80)	43 (51.8)
PSQI – Mean (SD)	8.31 (3.60)
PSQI categories – No. (%)
No sleep disturbances (<5)	12 (14.5)
Sleep disturbances (5+)	71 (85.5)
OLBI full-scale categories – No. (%)
Low (<1.62)	3 (3.6)
Medium (1.63–2.68)	52 (62.7)
High (>2.68)	28 (33.7)

Table 3. Intercorrelations of mental scores. All results are presented as r = correlation coefficient.

	PHQ total	STAI state total	STAI trait total	OLBI disengagement	OLBI exhaustion	OLBI full scale	PANAS Positive	PANAS Negative	PSQI total
STAI state total	0.688		0.809	0.541	0.570	0.621	−0.515	0.750	0.524
STAI trait total	0.658	0.809		0.545	0.600	0.639	−0.507	0.731	0.538
OLBI disengagement	0.408	0.541	0.545		0.604	0.899	−0.649	0.436	0.406
OLBI exhaustion	0.523	0.570	0.600	0.604		0.892	−0.597	0.465	0.539
OLBI full scale	0.520	0.621	0.639	0.899	0.892		−0.696	0.503	0.528
PANAS Positive	−0.315	−0.515	−0.507	−0.649	−0.597	−0.696		−0.389	−0.346
PANAS Negative	0.664	0.750	0.731	0.436	0.465	0.503	−0.389		0.646
PSQI total	0.575	0.524	0.538	0.406	0.539	0.528	−0.346	0.646

Table 4. Associations between working memory strategy and errors and worse mental well-being, burnout, and sleep. A lower strategy is better.

	Working memory strategy		Working memory errors
	Coefficient (SE)	Significance	Coefficient (SE)	Significance
PHQ-9 Total score	0.29 (0.10)	t(76) = 2.90, p = 0.034*	0.29 (0.22)	t(76) = 1.36, p = 0.272
STAI State anxiety total score	0.07 (0.05)	t(76) = 1.61, p = 0.220	0.10 (0.10)	t(76) = 1.02, p = 0.343
STAI Trait anxiety total score	0.08 (0.05)	t(76) = 1.55, p = 0.220	0.14 (0.11)	t(76) = 1.31, p = 0.272
OLBI Burnout total score	2.89 (1.11)	t(76) = 2.61, p = 0.038*	4.03 (2.37)	t(76) = 1.70, p = 0.272
PANAS Positive affect score	−0.08 (0.06)	t(76) = −1.28, p = 0.285	−0.19 (0.13)	t(76) = −1.44, p = 0.272
PANAS Negative affect score	0.06 (0.06)	t(76) = 1.01, p = 0.314	0.17 (0.12)	t(76) = 1.41, p = 0.272
PSQI Total score	0.16 (0.14)	t(76) = 1.12, p = 0.311	0.28 (0.30)	t(76) = 0.95, p = 0.343

Significant associations are shown using asterisks (*, p  < 0.05).

Table 5. Associations between being on-call more often and worse mental well-being, burnout, and sleep, while controlling for hours worked, experience level, age, and sex.

	Coefficient (SE)	Significance
PHQ-9 Total score	0.45 (0.14)	t(77) = 3.17, p = 0.015*
STAI State anxiety total score	0.66 (0.33)	t(77) = 1.98, p = 0.052
STAI Trait anxiety total score	0.60 (0.30)	t(77) = 2.01, p = 0.052
OLBI Burnout total score	0.03 (0.01)	t(77) = 2.36, p = 0.036*
PANAS Positive affect score	−0.57 (0.24)	t(77) = −2.40, p = 0.036*
PANAS Negative affect score	0.62 (0.26)	t(77) = 2.37, p = 0.036*
PSQI Total score	0.23 (0.11)	t(77) = 2.17, p = 0.046*

Significant associations are shown using asterisks (*, p  < 0.05).

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.