Racial/Ethnic Differences in Burnout: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Awareness of burnout and its implications within the medical field has been growing. However, an understanding of the prevalence and consequences of burnout among underrepresented minority (URM), specifically underrepresented minority in medicine (UiM) populations, is not readily available. Objective To examine literature investigating burnout among UiM compared to non-UiM, with particular attention to which measures of burnout are currently being used for which racial/ethnic groups. Methods The authors identified peer-reviewed articles, published in English through systematic examination using PubMed, PsycINFO, Countway Discovery Medicine, and Web of Science databases. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were summarized and study quality was assessed. Results Sixteen studies assessing racial/ethnic differences in burnout were eligible for inclusion. Nearly all studies were crosssectional (n = 15) in design and conducted among populations in North America (n = 15). Most studies examined burnout among medical students or physicians and used the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Differences in burnout among UiM and non-UiM are inconclusive, although several studies have nuanced findings. Conclusion Increased focus on burnout measurement, conceptualization, and mitigation among UiM populations may be useful in improving recruitment, retention, and thriving.

Prevalence and correlates of stress and burnout among U.S. healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national cross-sectional survey study

“…While causes for lower burnout in Black and Latinx workers in our study are not clear, a recent systematic review suggests that inconsistent burnout findings in underrepresented groups in medicine (UiM) may be due to the failed accounting of structural and systemic barriers that inform UiM's lived experiences including racism, tokenism, and lack of inclusion or social support [36]. High rates of burnout (61.8%) among the large number (2,667) in the "prefer not to indicate" race/ethnicity category may, in part, explain these racial and ethnic differences in burnout, particularly if most of those in this category were minoritized individuals.…”

Differences in Occupational Burnout Among Primary Care Professionals

“…Previous research has reported that these variables can influence burnout. 6,25,26 Practice variables, collected as part of the larger IBH-PC study, included setting (academic, hospital, community health center, private), nonprofit status, specialty (family medicine, internal medicine, mixed), provider full-time equivalents, tenure of behavioral health services, degree of behavioral health integration, training of medical residents, panel size, number of patient encounters, and proportion of Medicare patients. Publicly available county-level variables were matched on the location of the practice.…”

Perceptions on Burnout and the Medical School Learning Environment of Medical Students Who Are Underrepresented in Medicine

“…11,19 However, the degree to which these experience contribute to burnout among medical students who are URIM is not known. 6,20 This study assessed how the medical school learning environment (ie, the social, mental, and physical space for medical students) contributes to burnout among medical students who are URIM. 21 Previous work has demonstrated that a poor medical school learning environment can lead to medical student burnout.…”