High prevalence of depression and sleep–wake disorders among female emergency medicine residents in South Korea

BACKGROUND: Depression and sleep–wake disorders are recognized as one of the major problems among emergency physicians. While depression is more common in females than in males, the associated factors linking depression and sleep–wake disorders in emergency physicians, particularly females, remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of depression and sleep–wake problems among emergency medicine (EM) residents in South Korea and to identify the gender differences and situations that adversely predispose female residents to mental health problems. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the data collected from the 2019 National EM Residents Wellness Survey targeting all of 630 EM residents in South Korea. The survey included variables potentially influencing depression and sleep–wake problems, such as personal characteristics, work-related stress, and extrinsic environment. Information regarding medical conditions, depression, job stress, and sleep deprivation was obtained using the self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Apgar Wellness Score (AWS), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). We analyzed the data using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 and MedCalc version 17. RESULTS: A total of 384 residents participated in the survey. Overall, 27.5% of the EM residents met the criteria for at least moderate depression and 36.9% of the EM residents had sleep-related problems. We found that difficulty in trading the shift schedule and frequent night shifts was associated with depression (p = .001, p = .005; respectively). Female residents demonstrated an increased risk of depression and sleepiness compared to their male counterparts (odds ratio [OR] 1.95, OR 1.81; respectively). In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed significant differences by gender in depression with regards to flexibility of trading shifts (p = .005), level of training in the emergency medical centre (p = .035), and frequent night shifts (p = .010). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately, one-third of EM residents report depression and sleep–wake problems, with female residents showing a higher risk than male residents. Several risk factors were identified, and future strategies should be aimed to address these issues to improve the training environment and overall wellbeing of EM residents. KEY MESSAGES: The prevalence of depression and sleep-related problems were, respectively, 1.95 and 1.81 times higher in female residents compared to their male colleagues. The associated risk factors for depression were flexibility of shift trade, level of training in the emergency medical centre, and frequency of night shifts. Improving the training environment and facilities, as well as offering more flexible duty trading options can provide potential opportunities to reduce the risk.