The Association of Grit With Burnout Components (Professional Efficacy, Exhaustion, and Cynicism) Among Academic Rheumatologists

Abstract

Objectives There is a high prevalence of burnout among rheumatologists. Grit, which is defined as possessing perseverance and a passion to achieve long-term goals, is predictive of success in many professions; however, whether grit is associated with burnout remains unclear, especially among academic rheumatologists, who have multiple simultaneous responsibilities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between grit and self-reported burnout components—professional efficacy, exhaustion, and cynicism—in academic rheumatologists. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 51 rheumatologists from 5 university hospitals. The exposure was grit, measured using mean scores for the 8-item Short Grit Scale (range, 1–5 [5 = extremely high grit]). The outcome measures were mean scores for 3 burnout domains (exhaustion, professional efficacy, and cynicism; range, 1–6; measured using the 16-item Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey). General linear models were fitted with covariates (age, sex, job title [assistant professor or higher vs lower], marital status, and having children). Results Overall, 51 physicians (median age, 45 years; interquartile range, 36–57; 76% men) were included. Burnout positivity was found in 68.6% of participants (n = 35/51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 54.1, 80.9). Higher grit was associated with higher professional efficacy (per 1-point increase; 0.51 point; 95% CI, 0.18, 0.84) but not with exhaustion or cynicism. Being male and having children were associated with lower exhaustion (−0.69; 95% CI, −1.28, −0.10; p = 0.02; and −0.85; 95% CI, −1.46, −0.24; p = 0.006). Lower job title (fellow or part-time lecturer) was associated with higher cynicism (0.90; 95% CI, 0.04, 1.75; p = 0.04). Conclusions Grit is associated with higher professional efficacy among academic rheumatologists. To prevent burnout among staff, supervisors who manage academic rheumatologists should assess their staff's individual grit.