Loneliness Among Medical Students, Physician Trainees and Faculty Physicians

ObjectiveAims of this study were to explore 1) how often medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty physicians who completed a suicide screening questionnaire at a large US academic medical center endorsed intense loneliness and 2) the relationships of loneliness with other negative mental health states.MethodsBetween May 2009 and September 2001, all medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty physicians were invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire as part of a screening program to identify and engage individuals in distress with mental health support. The questionnaire assessed intense loneliness, other affective states known to be associated with suicide risk, burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Chi-square tests, independent sample t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation analysis were used to examine relationships between loneliness and these other signals of suicide risk.ResultsThe response rate was similar to 20%. Overall, 364 of 2016 respondents (18.1%) endorsed intense. loneliness a lot or most of the time. This included 134/641 (20.9%) medical students, 170/703 (24.2%) residents and fellows and 60/664 (9.4%) faculty physicians. A greater odds of endorsing intense loneliness was seen in those under age 40 (OR = 0.35, p < 0.001), women (OR = 1.30, p = 0.030), and non-Whites (OR = 1.70, p < 0.001); and in those with burnout (OR = 3.14, p < 0.001), depression (OR = 12.34, p < 0.001), other intense affective states (OR = 4.34-8.34, p < 0.05), and suicidal ideation (OR = 3.47-13.00, p < 0.001).ConclusionInterventions to mitigate loneliness in healthcare trainees and professionals may help decrease burnout, depression, and other suicide risk factors. A limitation of the study was the use of a single item to assess loneliness.

Automated summary

The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of intense loneliness among medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty physicians at a large US academic medical center, and its relationship with other negative mental health states. The results showed that 20% of the respondents endorsed intense loneliness frequently or most of the time. Younger age, being female, non-White race, burnout, depression, other negative affective states, and suicidal ideation were associated with a greater likelihood of endorsing intense loneliness. Interventions to mitigate loneliness may help reduce burnout, depression, and other suicide risk factors among healthcare trainees and professionals.