Prevalence of depressive symptoms and excessive daytime sleepiness in a cohort of Saudi doctors under training: A cross sectional study

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have highlighted an increasing prevalence of depression and sleep problems among physicians during their residency training in the medical field. The study aims to explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms and sleepiness among the residents of different medical specialties in the two regions of KSA and describe the factors that potentially cause depression and sleepiness. METHODS: A survey was distributed to the residents of King Abdulaziz Medical City in the Riyadh province, and to the residents of King Fahad Specialist Hospital Buraidah and Maternity and Children's Hospital Buraidah in the Qassim province. The Patients' Health Questionnaire-2 was used to determine the prevalence of depression and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used to measure sleepiness. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-one residents completed the survey. While depressive symptoms were prevalent among 93% of the residents, 49% of the residents reported excessive daytime sleepiness. Depressive symptoms were more common in the residents of King Abdulaziz Medical City, with the prevalence being 94.5%. There was a significant association between depressive symptoms and excessive sleepiness (p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms and excessive sleepiness are highly prevalent in postgraduate trainees. Residents with depression were found to be sleepier during their work. Given the negative effect on patient safety, the high prevalence of both depressive symptoms and sleepiness is alarming. There is an urgent need to improve residents’ wellness through well-structured well-being programs.