Warning: residency can make you depressed

WayOutWestMom
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 22:41:33 +0000

In this weeks JAMA–

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2474424

In this systematic review, the summary estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians was 28.8%, ranging from 20.9% to 43.2% depending on the instrument used, and increased with calendar year.

This is in stark contrast with the general population where ~6.7% of adults experience a depressive episode in any given year and the lifetime incidence of depression is about 20% for women and 14% for men (according to NIH data).

The results of this study are consistent with the 2013 Intern Health Study (conducted by University of MIchigan).

Sen’s Intern Health Study, which has reached a sample size of more than 10,000, has shown a similar striking change; the depression rate increased from roughly 3 percent before the beginning of internship to 26 percent during the first year.