The role of stress mindset in burnout and resilience among medical residents: a cross-sectional study

Background: Stress is ubiquitous in the practice of medicine. The way individuals view stress is known to have an impact on stress itself. While stress is widely viewed as negative by many, a number of studies have indicated that viewing stress positively as an experience that can promote growth is associated with better well-being. Our cross-sectional study aimed to examine relationships between stress mindset and burnout, as well as grit and resiliency, in several Wright State University (WSU) residency programs. Methods: A survey was sent to 204 residents in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Surgery consisting of the following measures: Stress Mindset Measure (SMM), Grit Scale, Mini ReZ Survey (burnout, stress, and resilience), and adverse childhood events (ACEs). Results: Completed surveys were received from 85 residents (41.7% response rate). There was a large inverse correlation between stress mindset and burnout (rs = -0.50, p < 0.0001). An ordinal logistic regression modeled the odds of increasing burnout and found a significant relationship between stress mindset and burnout (odds ratio = 0.779; 95% confidence interval = 0.695–0.866). For a one-unit increase in stress mindset (i.e., viewing stress more positively), the odds of higher levels of burnout decreased by 22.0%. Grit and the number of ACEs were not significantly related to burnout. Conclusions: Our cross-sectional study of WSU residents reveals a significant inverse relationship between stress mindset and burnout, suggesting that viewing stress more positively is associated with lower odds of experiencing burnout. Specifically, a one-unit increase in stress mindset (a more positive view of stress) was associated with a 22% decrease in the odds of higher levels of burnout. Interestingly, grit and the number of adverse childhood experiences were not found to be significantly related to burnout in this cohort. These findings underscore the potential importance of fostering a positive stress mindset as a modifiable factor in mitigating burnout among medical residents. Further longitudinal research is warranted to explore the causal nature of this relationship and to develop targeted interventions aimed at cultivating a more adaptive stress mindset in this high-stress professional population.