Over 70 per cent of young doctors in Hong Kong burnt out from work, one-fifth have depression, survey shows
- Poll by the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2019 involved 514 doctors who completed specialist registration in past 10 years and residents in training
- Most respondents experienced personal or work-related burnout, while 21 per cent suffered from moderate to severe depression, and some reported suicide attempts
More than 70 per cent of young doctors in Hong Kong suffer from work-related burnout while one-fifth have depression, a survey by the city’s medical specialist training institution has found.
The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine published the findings in the Hong Kong Medical Journal on Tuesday.
The survey, conducted between February and June 2019, involved 514 young doctors – defined as those who had completed specialist registration within the past 10 years and residents in training. About 8.6 per cent of the respondents worked in the private sector.
Respondents were asked to fill in an online questionnaire and their answers were assessed by the academy according to an international benchmark gauging the mental health of employees in general.
Results showed that about 72 per cent of respondents experienced personal burnout, while 70.6 per cent reported work-related fatigue, and 21 per cent suffered from moderate to severe depression, which was higher than the 8.4 per cent among the general population in Hong Kong in a previous study.