Prevalence of depression and anxiety in orthopedic residents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Orthopedics is one of the specialized fields of medicine and its residency has always been of interest. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among orthopedic residents. Methods Digital databases such as PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched until July 27, 2024. Results The analysis included a total of 10 studies for anxiety (1,758 cases, 374 anxiety cases) and depression (2,389 cases, 381 depression cases). The pooled prevalence of anxiety was 31.6% [95% CI: 18.04–45.26%] with significant publication bias (Egger’s test p = 0.0257). After removing a potential outlier, the prevalence of anxiety was recalculated as 25% [95% CI: 16.61–34.01%]. The pooled prevalence of depression was 22.2% [95% CI: 12.08–32.51%] with significant publication bias (Egger’s test p = 0.0434). After removing a potential outlier, the prevalence of depression was recalculated as 18.6% [95% CI: 10.27–26.92%], showing no significant publication bias (Egger’s test p = 0.1229). Conclusion Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent among orthopedic residents, with significant levels of psychological distress affecting nearly one-third of this population. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-024-06213-4.