Comparing the Maslach Burnout Inventory to Other Well-Being Instruments in Emergency Medicine Residents.

BACKGROUND

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is considered the "gold standard" for measuring burnout, encompassing 3 scales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Other well-being instruments have shown utility in various settings, and correlations between MBI and these instruments could provide evidence of relationships among key variables to guide well-being efforts.

OBJECTIVE

We explored correlations between the MBI and other well-being instruments.

METHODS

We fielded a multicenter survey of 9 emergency medicine (EM) residencies, administering the MBI and 4 published well-being instruments: a quality-of-life assessment, a work-life balance rating, an appraisal of career satisfaction, and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire 2 question screen. Consistent with the Maslach definition, burnout was defined by high emotional exhaustion (> 26) and high depersonalization (> 12).

RESULTS

Of 334 residents, 261 (78%) responded. Residents who reported lower quality of life had higher emotional exhaustion (ρ = -0.437,  < .0001), higher depersonalization (ρ = -0.18,  < .005), and lower personal accomplishment (ρ = 0.347,  < .001). Residents who reported a negative work-life balance had emotional exhaustion ( < .001) and depersonalization ( < .009). Positive career satisfaction was associated with lower emotional exhaustion ( < .0001), lower depersonalization ( < .005), and higher personal accomplishment ( < .05). A positive depression screen was associated with higher emotional exhaustion, higher depersonalization, and lower personal achievement (all  < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our multicenter study of EM residents demonstrated that assessments using the MBI correlate with other well-being instruments.